Aliit Ori'shya Taldin
by aragornwen
Summary: When Zace's ship crashes on a remote planet, the last thing she expects to find is a clan of Mandalorians, much less a family and a home.
1. Chapter 1

Red lights flashed and klaxons blared as the girl stumbled from her hiding place behind two huge crates. The floor bucked sickeningly under her feet as the captain's voice suddenly filled the vast metal room, echoing disconcertingly. "All hands to escape pods! This is not a drill. Repeat: all hands to escape pods; this is not a drill."

She stood for a moment, indecisive, as the thought _I'm going to die_ floated across her mind. The ship bucked again, and she fell against the wall. Looking up, she saw the unmistakable crimson sign on the far wall and silently blessed whatever bureaucrat had made extra escape pods mandatory.

She tried to sprint across the room, but the floor was too unsteady and she fell against the edge of a crate. She hissed in pain as the ship listed wildly, sliding her across the room to the wall only a few meters from the pod door. She grimly scrabbled along the wall, praying that emergency override had been enacted as she slammed her fist down on the access button. The bindings on the heavy crates now overhead creaked ominously as the wall opened underneath her and she fell into the pod.

A calm female voice filled the space, tiny in comparison to the vast cargo hold. "Please fasten all restraints and remain seated until safely landed." It then repeated the warning in several other languages, one of which the girl thought might be Bocce. A hysterical laugh bubbled up out of her throat as she struggled to fasten the plethora of straps. The blast doors slid shut, and the girl slumped back against the seat in relief as the wail of the klaxon was blocked out. "Thank you," she said to the air.

She flinched as the cool voice answered. "You are welcome. Now entering ionosphere and engaging retrothrusters." A viewscreen appeared in one wall, displaying an alarmingly large planet surface.

"That doesn't look like Alderaan," she muttered.

"Coordinates at the time of the malfunction indicate that we are now orbiti-" The voice was suddenly cut off to be replaced by the empty hiss of static as the viewscreen flashed painfully bright. An explosion rocked the tiny pod, and debris rained on the outer shell.

The girl blinked, sunbursts filling her vision. "Ow," she said, her voice unnaturally loud. "Uh- computer?" There was no reply, only the continued hiss of static and the pings and clangs of debris. Suddenly, the pod shook under an impact and the viewscreen went black. "I have a bad feeling about this," she said, as the pod shuddered wildly from another impact. Her head pitched forward, striking a control panel hard, and she blacked out.

Several kilometers below on the planet surface, two men in full armor stood watching the space cruiser's demise.

"Impressive," one said. He was tall and square-shouldered, with a deeply tanned complexion and dark hair.

His companion, slightly shorter with a bushy moustache, grunted. "It's scared off all the game for a hundred klicks."

The first speaker shrugged, slipping his helmet back on. "We can go scout the debris field. Might find something interesting."

The other man waved a hand. "You do that. I'll take the speeder back to camp."

"What, and leave me to walk? I don't think so!"

The moustache twitched amusedly. "Well, it was worth a try."

The two men surveyed the wreckage of the ship with interest.

"_Very_ impressive," the first declared. "Better than a holovid." He began picking his way through the ship's remains. "Hey, is that an escape pod? Looks pretty beat up. Wonder if anyone's inside, or if it deployed automatically." He stomped out a small grass fire and made his way over to the pod.

"It's not opening!" he called over his shoulder, stabbing at the melted control panel with one finger.

"Try opening it and messing with the wires," his companion called from the landspeeder.

He did, prodding gingerly at the half-melted mess. It sparked, and he jerked his hand back, swearing, as the blast door slid open. He peered inside and his eyes widened in surprise. "Orade! Bring the speeder! There's a girl in here!"

He cleared a space on the ground and was slicing through the restraints holding her in by the time Orade reached them with the speeder. "Toss me the medpack! I think she broke her nose, and she's pretty beat up."

Searing pain accompanied her return to consciousness. Her eyes flew open, and she gasped in pain, immediately shutting them again. Sunlight was streaming into the pod, stinging her eyes and turning the inside of her eyelids a dull red. She felt something cool on her face, accompanied by the pain, and instinctively lashed out with one hand. Someone caught her wrist and a man's voice said, "_Udesii, ad'ika! Ni kebbu gaa'taylir._"

"Wha?" she croaked, opening her eyes a slit.

A man's face swam into focus. He was tanned and clean-shaven, with golden-brown eyes and dark hair, and, she noticed with surprise, was wearing a full set of emerald green body armor. "Basic?" he asked. She nodded. "Your ship crashed," he continued. "I think your nose broken. Be still and I fix it."

His accent was strong but not unpleasant, and she was grateful for the fact that he did speak Basic. She didn't think she was in any condition to think hard enough to communicate otherwise. When he dabbed at her face this time, washing away the dried blood to see what her injuries actually were, she gritted her teeth and let him, hissing when he hit a particularly sensitive spot. When he had finished, he applied something cool and white to her swollen nose. She closed her eyes and sighed with relief.

"Better?" he asked. "Good. Your nose probably broken, but only shallow cuts on your head. You have a big headache, but not a concussion. Can you move?"

She opened her eyes and shrugged, croaking, "I can try." Her throat was so dry… "Water, please?"

He held a canteen to her mouth, but she struggled upright and took it from him, drinking deeply. He nodded approvingly. "Can you stand? I have speeder."

She finished drinking and licked her lips. "I can try." He extended a calloused hand and she took it, levering herself carefully out of the pod. Her feet hit the scorched earth, jarring her aching head, and her knees bucked. She clutched at his arm, steadying herself. "Ow," she said weakly. He grasped her elbow, helping to support her, and she took her first real look around.

The piece of planet she had crashed on was a seemingly endless rolling plain, broken only by bits of hull and smashed or melted crates and a landspeeder with another man in the pilot's seat. His armor was a deep red. Smudges far on the horizon might have been trees, or possibly mountains. She couldn't tell. She suddenly realized that her rescuer had said something.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You stand; can you walk?" he repeated.

"Um, maybe." She took an experimental step. It produced no immediate ill effects, so she took another, and another. He moved smoothly alongside her, kicking debris out of her path and finally helping her to lie down in the back seat of the speeder.

"Better?" he asked, smiling.

"Yes," she said, leaning her head back.

"Good. You sleep; we take you to a real medic," he said with a slightly self-deprecating grin.

"Oh, I don't know about that. You did a pretty good job on me." She smiled. A pleasant numbness was spreading over her face, and she decided that she was rather enjoying being drugged right now. "One thing," she said, struggling to keep her eyes open. "I'm Zace."

"Zah-say?" he said. She nodded. He touched his chest. "Davrel."

She nodded again in acknowledgement, smiling woozily, then closed her eyes and surrendered to unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

She woke to the whine of the landspeeder's engine and the low rumble of men's voices. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, gingerly prodding the dressing on her nose. It still hurt, although it was definitely an improvement from the last time she had awakened. The voices stopped, and she looked up to meet the brown eyes of her rescuer.

"You sleep well. We arrive home soon. Can you remember what happened?"

She rubbed her forehead, yawning. "Not really. I got in the pod and the ship exploded. Something really big must've hit it because it jerked and I hit my head and blacked out. The next thing I remember is you."

He nodded. "Anyone else on board? Your parents, any relatives?"

She shook her head. "Nobody but me. And the crew, of course," she added quickly. She fidgeted, changing the subject. "Have you, um, seen any other pods? I think the crew jettisoned before me."

He made a negative gesture. "No, only yours. They probably tried to find spaceport."

She nodded. "That would make sense." The setting sun cast deep shadows behind each blade of grass. A chill wind whispered through the open speeder, and she shivered, pulling the old blanket she had been covered in around her shoulders. Her nose was beginning to throb again and she wondered how long she'd been asleep.

He smiled. "Almost home," he repeated, and turned back to the front.

She slid over to the side of the speeder, resting her chin on it and watching the sunset over the endless plains. Beautiful as it was, it wasn't very exciting, and she was nodding again before the speeder began to slow. She sat up and squinted into the dusk in front of her, seeing only dots of light, which slowly resolved into a campfire and some hanging lights and a collection of buildings. There seemed to be people moving around the fire, but how many she couldn't tell.

Davrel glanced back at the girl as Orade smoothly halted the speeder under an overhang. She was taking the scene in, wide-eyed. Reassured, he turned his attention back to the people now gathering around the speeder.

"Get anything?" one said.

"No, but Dav finally found himself a girl!" Orade replied.

Dav grinned and punched his friend in the arm among general laughter. "At least I found one! That's one more than you!"

Orade raised an eyebrow. "At least I won't have to drag one out of an escape pod!"

Dav shook his head. "You couldn't find one that would let you, with that rat pelt on your face!"

An older woman, her graying hair in a tight bun, elbowed her way through the crowd. "All right, Davrel, what's this about a girl?"

Dav hopped out of the speeder. "Ruusaan! You're just the one I wanted to see." He turned to the girl, who smiled politely despite her obvious confusion. "Zace," he said in Basic, smiling wryly at the shared joke, "meet Ruusaan, our real medic." He extended a hand, and she took it, sliding gently out of the back seat but wincing slightly as she landed. "Ruusaan, Zace was in that ship that crashed. I think her nose is broken, but there's no sign of concussion and she seems to be lucid enough. I put some numbing cream on that bandage, but it's probably wearing off by now."

Ruusaan nodded approvingly. "Good. So I did manage to teach you something."

Dav turned back to the girl. "Go with Ruusaan. She will fix your nose, and then we will eat."

Zace nodded solemnly, looking up at him. "I will see you again?"

Dav wondered if he had maybe put a bit too much painkiller on that bandage, or if she was just exhausted. "Yes, of course. I will help Orade put up the speeder and then I will come."

She nodded again and transferred her gaze to Ruusaan. "I'm Zace," she said seriously, holding out her hand.

Ruusaan took it and squeezed gently, leading her out of the crowd. Dav watched them go, but was distracted by Orade's poke in the ribs. "You going to help, or make me do this all by myself?"

Dav grinned, picking his helmet up from the speeder's floorboard. "Well, I guess I really should help, seeing how kind you were not to leave me to walk home."

Orade laughed. "You better believe it!"

Zace followed the woman through the crowd and out into what seemed to be the main street of the village, if it was a village. She felt rather light-headed, although she couldn't tell why. She yawned again. The woman looked back at her and said something, and Zace smiled back obediently. The woman- Ruusaan, Davrel had called her- stopped in front of one of the buildings and opened the door, beckoning Zace in after her. She slipped off her boots and motioned for Zace to have a seat on a cushioned bench against one wall. Zace was only too glad to sit, and Ruusaan carefully removed the bandage from her nose, tsk-ing in commiseration. A pad smelling of something sharp and clean was produced, and the residue of numbing cream removed. It was definitely wearing off, Zace decided, gritting her teeth as Ruusaan dabbed at her still-swollen nose. A fresh bacta pad was applied, along with more numbing cream, and Ruusaan moved on to her other injuries, poking and prodding at her ribs, back, and head. Aside from minor lacerations and scrapes, nothing else seemed to be wrong, and Ruusaan had just applied the last bandage when Davrel appeared in the doorway bearing three bowls of something hot and delicious-smelling. Zace hadn't realized until just then how long it had been since she'd eaten, and her stomach rumbled audibly. She blushed, but the other two seemed not to have noticed, carrying on a quiet conversation. Davrel finally turned to her, handing her a bowl of stew. "Ruusaan says you are well except for your nose, which will heal quickly now. She also says that a broken nose requires no special diet, and so I bring you supper."

Zace smiled gratefully, taking the warm, surprisingly heavy bowl in both hands. "Davrel, how do you say thank you?"

"_Vor entye_, or _vor'e_."

"Then _vor'e_, Ruusaan."

The older woman smiled. "_Ba'gedet'ye_."

Zace smiled back and took a bite of stew. It was wonderful, hot and redolent with exotic flavors and full of vegetables and hunks of meat. There was bread to dip in it, made of some unfamiliar grain but just as delicious as the stew. She finished the bowl, mopping up the last drops with her bread crust, and discovered that she was very sleepy. "Davrel?"

He looked up from his own bowl.

She yawned, and tried to cover it with a hand. "Sorry. I'm a bit tired…" She yawned again. Davrel grinned.

"You will sleep here tonight, in the, um…" He waved a hand vaguely.

"Infirmary?" she suggested.

He frowned. "Possibly. The home of the medic."

She nodded. "Close enough."

Ruusaan had finished her stew and, setting down her bowl, brought out blankets and a bolster. She turned to Davrel and said something.

"Ruusaan says that the cream she put on your nose makes some people very sleepy. She says that if you take off your boots, you can go to sleep now."

Zace nodded, stifling another yawn. She leaned down and undid the clasps on her worn boots, slipping them off and letting them clunk onto the floor. Ruusaan placed the bolster at one end of the bench, motioning for Zace to lie down. Zace was only too happy to comply, and Ruusaan covered her with the blanket, which was heavy and warm and smelled of flowers. "_Vor'e_, Ruusaan," she murmured sleepily.

The woman touched her hair. "_Jate'ca, ad'ika_."

Ruusaan collected the girl's stew bowl and her own, handing them to Davrel. He stacked them inside his own. "Thanks, Ruusaan."

She waved dismissively. "Poor thing, it was nothing. It's about time you found a girl."

His face warmed. "Ruusaan, she's just a-"

"A what?" she asked, giving him a sharp look. "Another baby shriek-hawk with a broken wing, like the ones you brought me when you were just an _adiik_? This one's more of a strill. Will you want to keep her too, I wonder."

He had wondered what Zace would want to do once she was well, if she had family and a place to go. Surely she did, but that ship… It had been a cargo freighter, not one that typically carried passengers. Was she a stowaway?

Ruusaan shook her graying head. "Go to bed, Dav'ika. I know you too well. Go stew in your own juice until tomorrow. She won't disappear overnight."

He stepped outside and took a deep, bracing breath of cold night air. What was she talking about? Zace was just a girl with the misfortune to have been in the wrong ship but the luck that he and Orade had come along. She'd probably want to leave when her nose healed up, and he'd take her to some place she could catch a passing trader vessel so she could go home.

_But what if she doesn't have a home?_ a sneaking voice in the back of his brain asked. _What if she stays here, chooses to become part of the clan?_

He found himself hoping that she would, and shook his head. "It's been a long day. Ruusaan's right, I need some sleep." He often found that speaking aloud to himself helped him sort things out, but tonight nothing seemed to be able to get her face off his mind. She wasn't even pretty, and she wouldn't be with a broken nose anyway. But there was something about the tilt of her eyebrows, the way she set her jaw when he had mopped her up, obviously in pain but not wanting to let it show… He shook his head, trying to clear it. He realized that he had walked right past his house, and had to backtrack. He left the bowls carelessly on a table, and it was a long time before he slipped into restless dreams.


	3. Chapter 3

It was broad daylight when Zace woke, feeling stiff from not moving all night. Ruusaan was rummaging through a cabinet, turning when Zace shifted to prop her chin on her hand.

"_Jate'shya_?" Ruusaan said, smiling. She left the cabinet and picked up a steaming mug, handing it to Zace. "_Shig_," she said.

Zace sat up and took the mug, taking a cautious sip. It was tangy, with a sweetish edge. She took another drink, relishing the unfamiliar flavor. "Mmm. _Vor'e_," she said, wondering what the word for "good" was. Ruusaan seemed to have gotten the message, for she smiled and turned back to the open cabinet, and Zace crossed her legs under the blanket and took a good look around.

The room she was in was modest in size but gave the impression of being terribly efficient. Drawers, shelves, and cabinets provided ample storage for all Ruusaan's medical equipment, and a door in the rear wall probably led to her bedroom. Ruusaan, frowning, shut the cabinet she was searching through and went through the back door, leaving it open. Zace could see what appeared to be another bed and more cabinets. Ruusaan opened a particularly tall one, and Zace almost spilled her _shig_. In it was a set of armor, not unusual in itself on a planet as far from civilization as this one seemed to be. What was unusual was the helmet with a familiar T-shaped eyeslit. Zace's stomach lurched. _Mandalorians!_ All her life she'd heard tales of the Mandalorian reputation for ruthlessness, and now here she was, trapped on a planet with what seemed to be an entire clan of them! She closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Surely they couldn't be all that bad. They had taken her in, fixed her nose, and gave her food and a place to sleep. She took another sip, her mind racing. Davrel. Davrel didn't seem ruthless. He had saved her. He hadn't slit her throat, or cut off her fingers one joint at a time, or… And Ruusaan. She could no more imagine Ruusaan with a blaster than-

Ruusaan came back into the room, bearing a stack of folded clothing. Zace opened her eyes and tried to look composed while the older woman set the pile on a countertop and held up the first item, a v-necked tunic identical to her own. She set it down and held up a pair of pants to match the tunic. She motioned for Zace to stand up, then held the pants up to her before handing both tunic and trousers to Zace. Zace took the bundle of clothes in one hand, still holding the mug in the other. Ruusaan shooed her into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Zace stared around helplessly before noticing the tub in the corner. She laid the clothes out on the bed and hurriedly drank down the rest of the _shig_, setting the empty mug on the floor before undressing and stepping into the shallow tub. There was a cloth and what seemed to be a bar of soap sitting beside the tub, and Zace took what was probably the shortest bath of her life, hurriedly drying off and throwing on Ruusaan's clothes, which hung loosely from her thin shoulders. Ruusaan was taller than she was, though she hadn't seemed it last night. She picked up her own clothes and opened the door cautiously, to be met by Ruusaan who handed her a carved bone comb and took the dirty clothes from her arms.

Zace smiled, said her one word of what was apparently Mandalorian, and sat back down on her bed to untangle her chin-length brown hair. It didn't take very long, and she was struggling to make a straight part with no mirror when Ruusaan reappeared and took the comb from her, parting her hair neatly down the center. Zace felt slightly out of place. Everyone she'd met was being so _nice_ to her… she wasn't quite used to it, although she felt that it would be a nice thing to be able to get used to. Straightening up, Ruusaan produced a small plate of pastries from another cabinet, presenting them to Zace with the air of one introducing a delicacy. Zace took one and bit into it carefully. If anything, it was even better than the stew. She finished the entire plate and decided that she could quite happily die right now, clean, with a full stomach, and feeling ever so slightly at home.

Someone knocked at the door, and Ruusaan opened it to reveal Davrel, in his suit of dull emerald armor, with _that helmet_ tucked under one arm. Zace's full stomach lurched slightly.

"_Su'cuy_, Ruusaan," he said. "Good morning, Zace."

Zace smiled, trying not to let her nerves show. "Good morning," she said politely.

He stepped inside, slipping off his boots. "Ruusaan thinks that fresh air is good for healing. Would you like to come with me this morning? _Ner vode_ are practicing with _beskade_, and you may like to watch."

She wondered who_ ner vode_ was, and what exactly they would be practicing. "Um, yes. That would be nice."

Ruusaan held up one finger and spoke to Davrel. "She says that she will check the bacta patch first," he translated, "and leave it off if it looks well enough."

Zace nodded, and Ruusaan gently peeled off the patch. It didn't seem to hurt as much anymore, and she told Davrel as much. He nodded. "It heals well. Ruusaan says to leave it off this morning and she will look at it again later."

Zace smiled and bent over to slip on her boots, only to have Davrel kneel, setting his helmet on Ruusaan's spotless floor, and put them on for her. She blushed and tried not to look at him. Her gaze settled on Ruusaan, who gave her a knowing smile. She quickly looked back down, into Davrel's dark hair.

"Um, I really think I can manage-" she began, but he had already gotten to his feet.

"Ready?" he asked, smiling. She decided that discretion was the best course and simply nodded.

He led her to just outside the village, where several armored young men and, she noticed with surprise, women too, were gathered around a ring of trampled earth. Inside it, two fully-armored men were sparring fiercely with sabers, which she realized must be the _beskad_. She watched in interest as one caught the other's hilt with his saber point somehow, twisting it neatly out of the other's grasp. It flew shimmering into the air, to land point down embedded in the earth about five meters away. The now-saberless man put up his hands in a gesture of surrender, taking off his helmet. Zace recognized him as Davrel's friend from the day before. He barked something to the other man, grinning, before spotting Davrel.

"Dav!" he cried, walking to retrieve his saber. "_K'olar bal ni muun'baji gar_."

Davrel shook his head. "_N'ibi'tuur,_ Orade_. Ni ti _Zace."

Zace looked up at him, guessing the question. "Oh, don't let me stop you. Go ahead."

He looked at her. "You are certain?"

She nodded. "I'd like to watch you."

He quickly slipped on his helmet. "_Tion'ad me'dinuri val'kad_?" he called.

The man who had disarmed Orade took off his own helmet and offered his saber hilt-fist to Davrel. He took it and hefted it, walking to a point midway between the center of the circle and the ring of onlookers. Orade replaced his helmet and took a position opposite him.

"_Solus, t'ad, eyn, slana!_" the crowd chanted. On the last syllable, the two men in the center blurred into motion. Zace had never seen anything quite like it. It was almost a dance, and quite beautiful, with the brightly-colored armor and the glitter of sabers in the bright morning sun. She was held breathless with anticipation as each came very close to what seemed like certain dismemberment, only to avoid it at the very last millisecond. She was so caught up in the drama of the moment that she only noticed that she had been yelling herself hoarse along with the rest after Orade's saber had performed a second shining arc in the air. Both men slipped off their helmets and clasped hands, and Davrel handed his saber back to its owner, collapsing on the grass beside Zace.

She sat crosslegged beside him. "That was amazing!" she gasped, her face alight. "Can you teach me?"

He laughed breathlessly, wiping his brow with a wrist. "Yes, I can. We will make a proper daughter of Mandalore of you yet!"

She didn't even flinch.

Dav watched Zace out of the corner of his eye. She was obviously enjoying the display of skill as pair after pair sparred. He willed himself to relax and simply enjoy the day, to watch the combatants instead of her… Rana and Keb were dueling now, Keb's long blonde braid hanging from the back of her helmet. The two women circled, feinting, dodging, engaging with a clash before whirling away to seek another opening. He sneaked a glance at Zace. She was watching the spectacle, open-mouthed and wide-eyed. He jumped back suddenly as Rana's saber spun through the air and landed right where he had been sitting. Rana laughed and said, "Watch it, Dav. That'd make your eyes water!"

He grinned, pulling it from the earth and offering it hilt-first to her. She sheathed it, removing her helmet and taking a spot next to Zace. "And this is your friend from the stars?" she asked, smiling at the girl.

"Yeah, this is Zace," he replied. Switching to Basic, he said, "Zace, meet Rana. Hello is _su'cuy'gar_."

"_Su'cuy'gar_, Rana," Zace said, grinning.

"_Su'cuy_, Zace," Rana said, sweeping her short dark hair from her eyes.

Zace turned back to Dav. "Can you tell her she's a very good fencer for me?"

Dav smiled. "Why don't you? It's _Gar akaani ori'jate._"

Zace carefully repeated the sentence, and Rana grinned, saying, "_Vor'e_."

Zace beamed excitedly. "Oh, I know! Um, _ba'gedet'ye_, right?"

Dav nodded. "You learn quickly."

The rest of the morning passed quickly, between watching the matches and teaching Zace some more of the language. She now knew _you_, _I_, and _them_, as well as _fight_, _saber_, _armor_, _helmet_, and _I'll make your eyes water!_ She chattered incessantly about the swordplay over lunch at Ruusaan's.

"Can you really teach me, Dav? I don't think I'll be very good, but you and Rana are."

"Rana and I trained for years," Dav replied. "You will not be as good at first, but you learn Mando'a quickly, so perhaps you will learn the _kad_ quickly too."

She nodded. "I hope so!"

Dav paused and seemed to be thinking. He opened his mouth, shut it, and compressed his lips. Zace raised her eyebrows, waiting.

"I do not mean to offend, but does that mean you are planning to stay here? There is a- ah, I mean, there are traders who come, and you are surely waiting to get back to your family…" His voice trailed off, and she sighed. She had known it was coming, sooner or later.

"Well, actually…" She laughed nervously. "Funny you should ask. I, um, don't really have a family to go back to. I hid on that ship to get away from CorSec. They don't really like orphans who borrow rich brats' fast speeders without permission."

Dav's face was a complete blank, and she felt her stomach sinking. She had blown it. The one chance she'd ever had, with people who genuinely seemed to care… Sure, N'karr and the other boys in his little gang of street kids cared, but they weren't- She couldn't bring herself to think the word. Not now. She'd been a fool to even entertain the idea.

Dav's mind raced. She didn't have a family; she couldn't go back; she was—she was looking positively stricken. "I'm sorry. I'll go-" she began, but he held up a hand, smiling.

"You _stole_-" he began.

"Borrowed," she corrected, looking slightly more hopeful. "Borrowed without permission, but with every intention of returning-"

"Fine, _borrowed_ a speeder, was chased by CorSec, whoever they may be-"

"-Corellian security-"

"And ended up hiding on a cargo ship that lifted off with you still on it and then exploded?" She nodded sheepishly. "Zas'ika, that is the worst run of luck I have ever heard of. I'm not sure we want you to stay."

She opened her mouth, but realized he was joking. She raised an eyebrow. "Well, if that's really how you feel…"

Dav leaned his head back and shook with laughter. Zace mock-scowled and punched his arm, wincing as her knuckles hit his _beskar_ shoulderplate. "So you think it's _funny_, do you?"

He wiped his eyes, serious now. "We have a saying, _aliit ori'shya taldin_. As close as I can say it in Basic, family is more than bloodline. If you choose, you have a family here." He glanced at Ruusaan, who was watching him carefully. He knew she couldn't have understood any of the conversation except for the proverb, but she had an uncanny way of almost being able to read his mind. She smiled, very slightly, and inclined her head, almost unnoticeably.

Zace stared down at her plate, not wanting Dav to see the tears welling in her eyes. He coughed uneasily. "Ah, I am sorry if I have offended you."

She cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the lump. She blinked rapidly, looking up. "You _idiot_. Of course I want to stay." Her voice was rough but steady. Dav grinned widely, looking younger than usual. Ruusaan raised an eyebrow, smiling, and addressed Dav. He sobered, listening, and then turned to her.

"Ruusaan reminds me that I am young and impetuous, and that you are not a child to be taken and taught our ways. In this, becoming one of us, you receive our soul, and this is not to be taken lightly."

She gazed steadily into his golden-brown eyes. "Anything. I can't think of a thing I need more than a soul." His words had struck a chord in the empty space behind her collarbone, and she felt pricking at the corners of her eyes again. She dashed the back of her hand over her eyes and sniffed. Dav nodded.

"We can talk of this later, if you wish."

He seemed to be quite sensitive to her emotion, for a male. She looked back up, meeting his eyes once more. "No. Tell me what I need to do."


	4. Chapter 4

"_Ehn! Solus! She'cu! Resol!_" The clash of sabers filled the warm afternoon air as the two women spun and disengaged. Dav stepped in between them and nodded in satisfaction. "Good work. Much better parry, Zas, although your recovery is still slow."

Zace removed her helmet, a spare one borrowed from Rana, strands of hair clinging to her sweaty forehead, the saber hanging loosely from one hand. "Shades, Rana, it felt like you were trying to break my arm!"

Rana, laughing, removed her own _buy'ce_. "And what do you think the other _chakaar_'s going to be doing? _K'atini_!"

Zace rolled one shoulder. "Doesn't make my arm hurt any less." She squinted up toward the sun. "What d'you think, Dav, one more try before we call it off?"

Dav nodded. "One more try. And no holding back! Rana, you too."

Rana rolled her eyes as she replaced her helmet. "As if I ever hold back! Say that again and you're next, _ner vod_."

Dav held up his hands defensively as he backed out of the circle. "Not me, Ran'ika. Save it for Zace."

"Oh, thanks, Dav." Zace's voice from within her helmet was muffled, but there was no mistaking the dry tone.

"_Kih'parjai_. Like you mean it this time! Ready, go!"

Zace's world narrowed to a T-shaped slit and her opponent's _kad_. Muscles she hadn't known she possessed just a few months before worked smoothly together now to block Rana's blows and deliver her own. Her _kama_ billowed out from her legs as she lunged, stepping quickly back to counter Rana's strike, then twisting her wrist quickly. Rana quickly switched her saber to her right hand, swearing colorfully in Huttese as blood oozed from between her left index finger and thumb. Zace sheathed her own saber, dropping her helmet as she rushed to Rana's side.

"Oh, shades! I'm sorry, Ran. Let me see it."

Rana shook her head, bringing up her _kad_ to rest the point against Zace's neck. "No, it's fine. You just… surprised me. Next time, don't aim so low, and _don't_ put up your weapon until you're sure the other guy's out of commission."

Dav reached them, slapping Zace's backplate and shoving the helmet into her hands. "Clever girl!" he said lightly. "You've been paying attention. You sure it's fine, Rana?"

Rana made a slightly exasperated noise. "Yes, Davrel, I'm sure." She pulled off her armored glove, holding out the hand in question. "See? Just a scratch. Stop _worrying_."

Dav inspected it. "Fine then, _atin'ika_. Time for lunch anyway."

As the three made their way back to camp, Dav and Rana arguing cheerfully about something or other, Zace let her mind wander. Had it only been a few months? She doubted if N'karr or any of the others would recognize her now. She had put on muscle, and her now-crooked nose was brown from the brilliant sun. Sometimes it seemed like she'd lived here forever, and then sometimes Dav or Rana would use some word or phrase she'd never heard before and she would realize again just how much she didn't know. Her Mando'a was getting better every day; she was a decent shot with a blaster rifle, making progress with the _kad_, and Orade had called her _ner vod_ a few days ago. She smiled, and Dav stopped mid-sentence.

"What are you grinning about?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. You two." She had been slightly jealous of their apparent closeness at first, but she had found that Dav and Rana were cousins, his grandfather and hers being brothers. But Dav still treated her like a younger sister. She had been abjectly grateful those first weeks, when he and Rana had taken her under their wings, teaching and introducing and helping her settle in. She had become quite enamored of him, following him around and, she realized with chagrin, acting like a besotted child. No wonder he treated her like his little sister; ignoring her feelings, if he'd even noticed them, was easier and less painful than acknowledging unrequited infatuation. She had originally hoped that it was just infatuation, and would fade, but her private fit of jealousy over his and Rana's relationship shattered that idea. She sighed unconsciously, and Dav gave her another look.

"Credit for your thoughts, Zas'ika," he said lightly, but his eyes- those lovely golden-brown eyes- betrayed more concern. Her heart somersaulted, just like it always seemed to when he called her _little Zace_.

"Oh, just thinking," she said, smiling. "About tonight. We'd better still be going hunting; you've put it off long enough."

He grinned. "Good thing you reminded me. It's going to be clear and not too hot. What d'you think, Rana, you in?"

Rana smiled back wolfishly. "Have you ever known me to be out?"

Dav stepped inside Ruusaan's house, savoring the blast of cool air while slipping off his boots. Zace tossed him a bottle of water and stepped into the back, presumably to change out of the _beskar'gam_. He slumped into a chair, twisted off the lid and took a long drink, nearly choking when Ruusaan stood up from looking through a cabinet. She watched with one eyebrow raised as he gasped.

"Ruusaan, how do you do that?"

"When are you going to do that girl right? I raised you, Dav'ika, and I've been watching her too. Tell her."

"Ruusaan, I can't! She's not- she wouldn't-"

"Oh?" Ruusaan's sarcasm could drop a gundark at twenty meters. "And of course you would know much more than I about such things."

He shook his head. "I didn't mean it like that. Just- I _can't_."

She placed a hand on her hip. "Have it your way, then, but don't come crying to me. Rana knows, though she hasn't said anything about it to _you_."

The bedroom door slid open to reveal Zace, dressed in a fresh tunic with her hair pulled back off her neck. Dav was suddenly reminded of how much she had changed. She seemed to sense that something was amiss. "Ah, forgot my boots," she said, and started to duck back into the room, but Ruusaan stopped her.

"No, you didn't. They're right here by the door like always, and Davrel has something to tell you."

Zace padded barefoot over to the table and sat, gazing expectantly up at him. Dav was aware of a warmth that seemed to be spreading up from his neck and coughed. "Um, well-" Ruusaan was standing over him, hands on hips, which only made it worse. His ears were burning now. He started again. "Zace, I, ah, have a question for you."

Zace sat watching the tips of Dav's ears turn red, wondering what he was about to ask. _Surely he doesn't- he can't be- Ruusaan said something- No!_ Ruusaan was glaring down at him like Death Itself, and as he hesitated, she gently prodded the back of his head. He closed his eyes, took a breath, and opened his mouth just as Rana burst in. She took in the scene with interest. "Sorry, Ruusaan. Dav, they're coming!"

"Who's coming?" Dav asked, the color receding from his ears. He seemed determined not to make eye contact with either Ruusaan or Zace.

Rana shrugged. "Slavers maybe, but they've got a h-" She glanced at Ruusaan. "A lot of troops."

Dav stood up, swearing absently. Ruusaan flicked his ear, and he winced. "Sorry! ETA?"

"Several hours. Sunset, maybe."

Dav nodded. "Right. I'll get my things."

Zace stood. "Me too."

Dav turned on her. "No!"

She drew herself up, coming almost to his shoulder. "Why not?"

"Because-" He stopped. "You haven't been trained, for one, and you don't even have your own armor-"

"_You_ trained me," she pointed out. "You said I was a good shot."

Rana exchanged a glance with Ruusaan before slipping back out. "Yes, but being a good shot and actually shooting _someone-_"

"Well then, I won't shoot. I can be a medic. Ruusaan said I was good."

He shook his head. "It's too dangerous!"

She glared at him. "I want to help, Davrel! Do you even know? I don't want to lose any part of my family when I can do something to stop it!"

"Neither do I!" he fired back. "Putting an untried soldier in a situation like this is tantamount to murder!"

"Then I'll stay back!" Her eyes were starting to burn. "I'll stay back and take care of any casualties, or drive your speeder, or-" She blinked hard, and a large tear slid down her cheek. She angrily dashed it away, but Dav's expression had softened.

"Zas'ika…"

She glared at him. "Don't you 'Zas'ika' me right now, Davrel!"

He sighed. "Zas, you don't know what it can be like. I'm doing you a favor."

"I don't want your pity," she snapped. "I have just as much right _and duty_ to be out there as you!"

His shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine. Come then. But you will not be fighting! You will stay back and be a medic."

"Fine!" She whirled and stomped into the bedroom, waiting for the door to shut before she collapsed on the bed and burst into tears. _He's going to hate me now. I can't stand it! I ruined everything again._ There was a tap on the door.

"Go _away_, Dav!" she called, sitting up and sniffing hard.

The door opened to reveal Ruusaan. "_Jhas'ika_, he only wants the best for you."

She rubbed her eyes. Ruusaan's Mando'a pronunciation of her name was oddly comforting now, an audible sign of her acceptance. "I don't want his pity. He doesn't know what happened- what I've been through- I've lost my family once before. It's not happening again."

Ruusaan moved to sit on the bed by her, laying a gentle hand on her hair. "As he has." Zace faced her sharply.

"What?"

"Have you never wondered? He's adopted too. He was much too young to remember, but I took him from the ruins of my cousin's home and raised him as my own. I wonder that he's never told you."

Zace's face betrayed her shock. "No. I- I never even wondered. Never even thought-" She shook her head. "I'll go tell him I won't go."

Ruusaan held up a finger. "Don't stay because of him. If you feel you need to be there, then be there. He would move worlds for you, you know." She stood and slipped back out, leaving Zace confused but dry-eyed.

Dav slumped into the pilot's seat of his speeder and cradled his head in his hands. She was impossible. Impossible to talk to, to reason with, to stop thinking about! He shouldn't have shouted. He should've guessed that would make her even more determined to go, in spite of everything he could say. He cranked up the speeder, steering it carefully through the bustle to Ruusaan's front door. Zace was already outside, pulling on her boots. She looked up, seeing him, and stood, scooping up a bag of medical supplies. She slowly approached the speeder, still red-eyed. "Dav, I'm sorry."

He slid over to the passenger's side, and she mutely climbed in. He sighed. "Don't be. It's my fault-"

"No! I mean- you don't- you're right, I don't know what it's like. But I still want to help."

He nodded. "I know. I shouldn't have yelled at you." _And I still don't want you out there, but I'm not going to fight with you about it._

She offered one leather-clad hand. "Pax?"

He frowned. "_Me'ven_?"

"Oh, sorry. Wrong planet slang." She grinned crookedly. "Friends again?"

He took her hand. "More than that, _ner vod_."

She raised an eyebrow. "Shall we go show these _hut'uune_ what happens when you mess with _Mando'ade_?"

He grinned. "_Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur_."

For Zace, the rest of the afternoon was a blur of armor and weaponry. She knew that _Mando'ade_ were warriors, but it was still impressive to see just how many exotic pieces of ordnance they had picked up. Rana's particular pride and joy was a Verpine shatter gun she had named Kyram'ika. She placed it gently in the padded rack behind Zace's seat and caressed it lovingly before turning to Zace.

"If anything happens, that gun better be safe. Verps don't bounce."

Zace nodded, unsure of what precisely she was supposed to do about it.

Orade slipped a rifle into the rack beside the gun. "Really, Rana, to hear you talk, you care more about that gun than you do about most people!"

Rana raised an eyebrow. "That's probably true, _vod'ika_. How many people do you know that can kill silently and puncture armor at the kind of range Kyram'ika has?"

Orade nodded, mock-serious. "Good point. I still can't believe you named it, though."

Rana shrugged. "How many Verps do you see every day? Ky is _special_."

Orade shook his head, about to reply as Dav walked up with an armful of ammunition. "Cut the chatter, you two. This stuff won't load itself."

Rana sighed exaggeratedly. "Oh, but Dav, I was just getting warmed up!"

Dav rolled his eyes and thrust the box of ammo into Rana's arms. "You too, Zas'ika. Go grab a few of those holdout pistols, and a belt and holster for yourself."

Zace slid obediently out of the speeder. "I thought you didn't want me fighting."

"I don't, but I don't want you defenseless either."

Rana shoved the ammo into Orade's arms and mimed strangling Davrel from behind. Zace bit the inside of her lip to keep from laughing, and Dav frowned. "What?"

"Nothing," Zace lied, turning quickly toward the pile of blasters in the grass, smiling quietly.

She had little idea of what to look for, and simply picked the first three off the top of the pile, with a belt and holster. "These good?" she asked Dav, holding them up. He glanced at her distractedly.

"What? Oh, yeah. Go ahead and put the belt on. The strap at the bottom of the holster goes around your leg."

She fumbled with the belt for a moment. It was heavier than she had expected. She fastened all the clasps and slid one of the pistols into it, taking an experimental few steps. It was heavy, but with the secure heaviness of her armor or a good coat. She smiled. She could get used to this…

"Zas'ika, have you suddenly decided to become left-handed? I know you look up to me and all, but that's a bit extreme."

She whirled to find Rana behind her, smirking. "Blaster goes on the dominant side, _kad_ goes on the opposite. Good try, though. Here, trade with me." Rana tossed her another belt.

"Oh. Um, right." Zace smiled. It was easier to get on this time, and she handed the other belt to Rana, who inspected the blaster in it.

"Dav didn't tell you which one to get, did he? This one's nearly as old as I am. Go get one of the shiny new ones."

Zace took the pistol back, holding up one that seemed newer. Rana nodded approvingly and vanished back into the crowd. Zace returned to the speeder, feeling slightly lost around so many people who knew what they were doing. Despite all she had learned in the past months, she was getting more and more used to everyone knowing more about everything than she did. Keb's younger brother Ijaat especially enjoyed beating her in target practice, or using some new word or phrase she hadn't heard before. Not that it was a bad thing, after all, just… different, like everything else in her new life.

The sun was low as Dav jogged over to the speeder. Zace was still sitting in the pilot's seat, polishing her blaster pistol with a bit of oiled rag. "Hungry?" he asked.

She looked up, startled. "Um, I guess."

"We're eating before we move out. Come on." He was surprised to see how grim she looked, but remembered how he'd felt before his first battle. _Poor Zas. I was trained my whole life to be ready, but she has no idea._

She slipped the blaster into the holster and smiled wanly up at him. "You don't have to go, you know," he found himself saying.

"Oh, I know," she said quietly. "I know."

Dav coughed. "Rana is saving us a place. We'd better go." She followed him mutely to the center of the camp, where a huge fire was blazing. Rana, sprawled on the grass, waved to them, and Dav sat next to her.

Rana grinned. "Eat up, Zas'ika! Can't fight on an empty stomach."

Dav thought Zace looked like she'd rather not have anything in her stomach at all, but she accepted a bowl of stew from Rana anyway. Dav wolfed down his own, watching Zace. She was eating, if slowly. Rana, finishing her bowl, glanced up at the sun. "Not long now. Got your medkit and night vision?"

Zace paused. "This stew was the first thing I ever ate here."

Rana looked questioningly at Dav. He shook his head, patting Zace's shoulder. "You'll be fine. We may not even need you. Hit 'em in the dark, make a few eyes water, and we're gone."

Zace took a deep, shuddering breath. "I'll be fine."

Rana smiled encouragingly, slapping Zace's back affectionately. "You'll be fine, _vod'ika_."

Zace met her eyes and almost managed a smile back. "I'll be fine."

Dav stood and offered Zace his hand, pulling her to her feet. "Off we go then."

Rana grinned wolfishly. "Better hurry, or there won't be any left for us."

Once behind the speeder's controls, Zace seemed to steady visibly. Rana, in the back seat, was singing an unprintable drinking song under her breath while sharpening a few more projectiles for Kyram'ika.

"Ran," Dav said, turning half around in his seat, "is that entirely necessary?"

"_We never care who wins the_- What?" She looked up. "What's the matter, you don't like this song?" she asked, grinning wickedly.

"Not really, no."

Rana raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you insist." She tucked the projectiles into a belt pouch and leaned her head back against the seat. When he glanced back at her a few moments later, she was cradling Kyram'ika and appeared to be napping. Dav shook his head. It was always hard to tell, even for him, whether she was being sarcastic from nerves or if she really enjoyed fighting. He suspected the latter.

"Zas-"

"I know what you're going to say." She ran a hand distractedly through her hair. "And I really appreciate that you're trying to make me feel better, but I'd rather take the intent than the action right now, so just- don't." She gripped the throttle tightly, keeping her eyes on the area of grass immediately ahead of the speeder.

"All right. I won't." They rode in silence for a few minutes more, until the dim lights of what might have been campfires began to show on the horizon. Dav slipped his helmet on.

"Cut the lights, Zas, and follow Orade. We're almost there."


	5. Chapter 5

Zace would have been relieved for the silent, awkward ride to be over, had she not known what lay at the end. Dav twisted in his seat and prodded the dozing Rana, who straightened so suddenly that Zace was almost convinced she hadn't been sleeping at all.

"Buckets on, you two," he said. His voice was quiet, and Zace wondered why he bothered. The engine noise would cover any normal tones, much less Dav's half-whisper. Ahead of her, Orade's speeder edged to a stop, and she halted her own behind his. Slipping her helmet on, she was suddenly grateful for its sense of enclosure and security. She fumbled with the commlink for a moment before it came on.

"-walk from here," someone was saying. She didn't recognize the voice immediately, but it seemed to be a man, older than Dav. "And Rana, no yelling until I give the word."

"Aww, Jus, you're no fun," Rana's disembodied voice said.

Jus seemed amused. "My job isn't to entertain you, Ran'ika; it's to get it done with the minimum of casualties. And no more arguing or you'll be the first."

Zace thought she could imagine Rana's feigned pout, and smiled. Behind her, Rana slipped Kyram'ika into a holster before selecting a long rifle and slinging its strap over her shoulder. Dav had climbed out of the speeder and was consulting with another blank helmet. Zace shivered. Her nerves, the dim lighting, or a combination of both made even Dav's now-familiar armor look sinister, and she thought she understood one of the reasons why _Mando'ade_ were the best mercenaries in the galaxy. One look at that helmet looming out of the darkness would be extremely demoralizing, even if she didn't know the stories behind it. Dav seemed to finish his conversation, or at least he nodded briskly and strode back to the speeder. After selecting a carbine from the rack behind Zace's seat, he turned to face her. She gazed into the seemingly bottomless eyeslit, and found herself wishing she could see his eyes.

"We're going in quietly. They're mostly asleep or passed out by now, except for a few sentries, but Rana can take care of them." He paused; searching for words? she wondered. "Stay here, keep your commlink open, and shoot anything not wearing _beskar'gam_."

She nodded, trying to say something, but the words stuck in her throat, and she was suddenly glad for the impassive mask of her borrowed helmet. He paused, and she was almost sure that he was trying to smile reassuringly through his own helmet. The thought made her smile, and loosened the lump in her throat so that she could whisper, "_Jate'kara_."

She didn't know if he had heard her wish him luck, for the next moment he had turned away and followed Rana out into the night. She took out her pistol and started rubbing it with the bit of rag while keeping half an ear on the commlink. It was mostly quiet, with only a few murmured instructions disturbing the peace. She looked up at the stars and sighed. _If it hadn't been for this stupid battle_, she thought, _I could be enjoying this with Davrel_. She was surprised to find that she _was_ enjoying the night. It was lovely weather, warm with just a hint of breeze to stir the long grasses, and the sky was cloudless. Rana's voice on the comm jerked her out of her reverie.

"Got 'im," she said breathlessly. "Clean neck shot." Zace's stomach twisted slightly, but her head didn't quite seem to be connected to it just then.

"Next one's to the south, leaning against that speeder," came a voice which might have been Keb's.

Rana _tsk_ed impatiently. "Very sloppy. Sitting on guard duty? What would his mother say." There was a pause. "There. Nice long nap for him, then."

"Good, Ran. Now, remember, I want a nice clean fight from all of you," Jus's voice rumbled. "No… _organic_ trophies."

Rana was irrepressible. "Aww, Jus, Kyram'ika _needs_ a new holster! And you know how hard it is to get real Trando skin."

Jus sounded amused again. "Not this time, Ran'ika. But if you can take out one with an LJ-50, I'll let you keep it this time."

"You'd better! I captured that last conk rifle fair and square."

"It was a piece of junk," Orade's voice cut in. "I've seen better-looking speeder crashes."

"And you'd know all about speeder crashes, wouldn't you?" Rana was probably grinning madly by now. "You drive one!"

Orade began a retort but Jus cut him off. "Almost there. Best cut the chatter now."

Rana muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "But I was just getting started."

"What was that, Ran'ika?" Jus was deceptively mild.

"Oh, nothing," Rana said innocently. Zace snorted. Thank goodness for Rana. There was complete silence for a few minutes, except for the slight rustling of grass and small noises from nocturnal creatures. _I wouldn't have come,_ she thought, _if I had known that it was going to be this…_ She searched for a word. Not boring, but not exactly interesting either. She tried to rest her chin in her hand, but the helmet got in the way. She leaned her head back against the seat instead, which wasn't much more comfortable.

_Stupid armor,_ she thought crossly, and then jumped as suddenly the night erupted with a terrific noise and the brilliant red of blaster bolts. Rana's triumphant yell echoed across both the plain and the commlink. "Gotcha, _chakaar_!" she whooped, as an explosion rocked the camp. "I'll take that!"

"Trando on your six, Or!" Dav's voice cut in. "Got 'im."

Zace blinked, realizing that she was sitting bolt upright and clutching her seat tightly. _They'll be fine_. _They've done this a hundred times-_

Someone yelped and swore, and there was another explosion. Zace squinted into the darkness, trying to see, but all she could make out were shadows, silhouetted against the fires and blaster bolts. The noise was horrendous, even from this far. It suddenly occurred to her to see what Ruusaan had packed in the medkit, and she opened it clumsily with shaking hands, grateful for something to do beside just sitting and listening. She tried to take deep breaths as she sorted through the kit, blessing Ruusaan's organizational skills. Syringes and tubes of paste had been nestled carefully between bandages. She sorted through everything, trying not to listen to the commlink, and willing her fingers to stop trembling.

"Zace!"

At the sound of her name on the comm, her head jerked up. "Here!" she said, hoping that her voice wasn't shaking as much as the rest of her.

"A few slipped past us, so keep an eye and your blaster out." She was relieved to recognize Dav's voice. He paused, then continued. "We're nearly finished, but be careful."

"I will," she said. She flipped the kit's lid shut and grasped her blaster pistol. "How- how many wounded?" she asked, suddenly desperate to keep in contact with him.

"A few scratches and a shot grazed Ijaat's arm. Nothing major. Oh, and Keb's braid got singed. She's not happy." He sounded as if he was smiling.

"No, I don't suppose she would be." Zace grinned. Keb's long blonde hair was her special vanity, but she would let her braid hang out of her helmet.

"Keep your eyes open. Jus is calling me." The link clicked faintly, and she realized that he'd patched in a private channel. She was oddly touched, and wondered why he had. Deciding to ask him once they were all back home, she sat back in the pilot's seat, clutching the pistol and squinting into the night once more. It seemed darker now, but that might just have been because the fires were dying down. Grass rustled to her left, and she whipped her pistol around nervously to face that direction. She couldn't see anything, but that didn't mean anything. She slid lower in the seat, half-kneeling in the floor so that she could just see over the side, and listened. The soft animal noises had stopped, and for a moment all she could hear was the wind in the grass. _Oh, _shades_! Where is it?_

Crunch, rustle.

Zace froze. Cold sweat prickled her forehead and between her shoulder blades. Definitely footsteps, and large heavy ones at that. She peered intently into the darkness, and could just make out a slightly deeper patch of shadow. _What now? It must be one of them, it couldn't be one of us or it wouldn't be sneaking around like that._ She made a split-second decision.

"Hey!" she yelled, standing up. The figure froze, then reached for its blaster. Zace dropped to her knees, closed her eyes, and fired several times, feeling her opponent's bolt fly just above her head. There was a horrible gurgling yell, and then silence. She opened her eyes, the ozone from her discharged weapon making her sneeze. The patch of shadow seemed to be crumpled in a heap. She looked around frantically for anything else, but all she heard was a sudden burst of song from where the slavers' camp used to be. Two figures, arms linked, were belting out a drinking song in what might have been two-part harmony, followed by several others. Zace switched on the speeder's headlamps with one shaking hand, and Rana and Keb's voices faltered as they shielded their eyes.

"Zas'ika? Thank you!" Orade's voice crackled over the comm. Rana dropped back, slipping her arm from Keb's, and punched him. Zace noticed that Rana now had an exceptionally large and dangerous-looking blaster slung over her shoulder.

"_Kih'parjai_," Zace answered shakily. "Be careful, I think I just shot someone."

"What? You _shot_-" Dav broke into a jog, Rana, Orade, and Keb following.

"No, Dav, it's fine, I think-" Zace's protests were cut short by a shot. Where had it come from? Nobody seemed to be holding a blaster- She suddenly realized that Dav wasn't running toward her anymore. Her mouth opened, but she couldn't scream. Rana was yelling, opening fire, and she realized in horror that she hadn't killed- The figure was now partly illuminated by the speeder's lights, and Zace quickly looked away. Rana was a much better and more efficient shot than she was. _Dav!_ Zace snatched the medkit and vaulted over the side, sprinting to where Keb was kneeling in the long grass.

"Dav! Dav, are you all right? Talk to me, Dav!" Zace babbled, almost hysterical. Keb had removed his helmet, and in the poor light from the speeder, he looked- not good.

"Right side, between the plate and the belt," Keb said breathlessly. She had her vibroblade out and was cutting away the leather and cloth. Zace opened the medkit, grabbing a handful of supplies. She tried to calm herself, tried to remember everything Ruusaan had said that day, but her mind was racing and all she could think of was that he was going to die and she had never told him- Keb had a syringe full of painkiller, which she injected above the wound. Zace stripped the packaging from a sterile pad and carefully swabbed it, picking loose fibers from his bodysuit out before slathering it with bacta and wrapping it tightly with a bandage.

"A stretcher- we need to carry him-"

Keb nodded once and sprinted off toward one of the other speeders. Zace knelt by Dav's head, cradling it, unconsciously reverting to Basic. "Dav? Can you hear me?"

His eyelids fluttered open. "Zas?" he breathed.

"Yes, that's right," she said, hoping her fear didn't show.

"_Ni kartayli gar_-"

"Yes, that's right, it's me, Zace, you really shouldn't be talking, we'll get you to Ruusaan-"

"-_darasuum_-"

"She'll take care of you- What?" Zace's stomach somersaulted. "Dav? Dav! No, Dav, wake up, say it again!" She realized she was sobbing, clutching his unresponsive hand, and couldn't stop.

Rana was talking, but Zace couldn't make sense of the words. Dav was dying! Why wasn't Rana more worried? Couldn't she _see_ he had been bleeding all over the place? A rough hand grasped her shoulder, shaking her. "Zas'ika! Zace!"

She looked up, blinking and hiccuping, into Rana's familiar helmet. Someone had found a plastoid bodyboard, and Keb was helping Orade ease Dav onto it. "What?" she croaked.

"Stop this right now," Rana snapped in Mando'a. "He's not going to die. He passed out because he's lost blood and that painkiller Ruusaan packed knocks you out."

Zace sniffed, wiping her face with the heel of her hand and leaving a smear of blood across one cheek. "But he was shot. All the blood-"

Rana pulled her up and slapped her on the back. "When have I ever lied to you, Zas'ika? You stopped the bleeding and Ruusaan can finish the job. Now come on. The sooner we get him to Ruusaan, the smaller the scar you'll have to admire on your wedding night."

Zace blushed. "I'm sure I have no idea what you mean," she said stiffly, attempting to gather what little dignity she had left.

Rana raised an eyebrow, turning to walk toward the speeder. "I'm sure you do, but I won't press the issue. I'll drive, so you can sit in the back with him and do whatever you faithful sweetheart nurses do."

"I am _not_ a faithful sweetheart nurse," Zace muttered, following her. "I am- I'm-" She paused, smiling. "I'm a _cyar'ika bar'uur_."

Dav awoke in a room filled with sunlight. He blinked slowly, his eyes adjusting, and raised a hand to rub his face. He tried to sit up, but swore as pain suddenly blazed across his side. Zace, who had been dozing, her head cradled in her arms on the tabletop, jerked awake and rushed across the room, kneeling beside the bed and seizing his hand.

"Oh, Dav, thank goodness you're awake! Ruusaan said she didn't know how long you'd sleep, since she didn't know how much painkiller Keb gave you, but I've been up all night waiting and now-" She broke off, and he was surprised to see tears glistening in her eyes. "But you're all right now." She sniffed and pressed his hand to her cheek.

He lifted his other arm and gently patted her head. "I'll be fine, Zas. But what exactly did happen? I remember you said you shot someone, and then I ran off like an idiot without thinking that whoever you shot might not be dead, and…" He shrugged, wincing slightly. "I'm guessing he wasn't."

"No, but Rana took care of that." She gave a shaky laugh. "And then Keb helped me mop you up, and…" She paused. "You don't remember any of this?"

"No, not really."

She released his hand, looking crestfallen. "Oh. Well, it doesn't really matter. You were- talking to me, before the drugs kicked in. And then we brought you back home, and Ijaat's fine, by the way, and Ruusaan finished on you. She said you were really lucky. It didn't hit any major organs, but you're on bed rest until she says you're not."

"And then you stayed up all night in case I woke up unexpectedly?"

She nodded, blushing slightly, then flinched as Rana poked her head through the door. "Welcome back to the land of the living, _ner vod_!" she cried, kicking off her boots and stepping inside. "When's the big day?"

Dav frowned. "What big day?"

Rana grinned madly as Zace cringed. "Your wedding day, of course. Unless you just intend to blame that 'I love you' on the drugs and break your poor _cyar'ika_'s heart?"

"Wha-"

"Oh yes, it was very dramatic." Rana leaned casually against a cabinet, smirking. "Full points on style, especially the pause before _darasuum_." Zace looked as if she wished Ruusaan's spotless floor would open and swallow her.

Dav, feeling his ears grow warm, coughed slightly. "Ah, Rana, can we have a moment?" Snickering, Rana slipped out. "And close the door!" he called. Rana's laughter drifted in as the door snicked shut.

"Um, Zas…. Well, this is _not_ the way I would have chosen to tell you, but…" All he could see was the top of her head and the tip of her nose. "Can you, I mean, would you mind looking at me?"

She slowly raised her eyes, her cheeks flaming. "Oh, _Dav_!" she squeaked, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Gently- OW!"

She hurriedly backed off. "Oh, Dav, I'm so sorry, I forgot-"

"No, it's all right, you just-"

A loud knock interrupted them. "Am I to be allowed back into my own house now?" Ruusaan's voice called.

Zace, still pink, leapt to her feet and threw open the door. "Sorry, Ruusaan. Yes."

Ruusaan thrust a plate of pastries into her arms. "Good. These are for you and Davrel, and then you will go and get the sleep you missed last night."

Dav smiled, recognizing Ruusaan's cure-all breakfast on the platter as Zace protested. "Oh, I'm really not ti- tired-" She tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.

Ruusaan shook her head, taking Zace's shoulders and guiding her to the chair beside Dav's bed. "Sit, eat. No more talking. One of you to nurse is too many already." She suddenly rounded on Dav. "And _you_!" He froze, mouth full of pastry. "What were you thinking? _Were_ you thinking? _Make sure they're dead_." She shook her head.

Dav swallowed hard. "Sorry, Ruusaan. I wasn't thinking about myself."

Ruusaan clapped a hand to her forehead. "_That_ is obvious. What will I do with _two_ of you? Now eat. I will be back, and Jhase will sleep." She swept out, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Zace stared wide-eyed at Dav for a moment before dissolving into giggles. When she could breathe, she selected a pastry of her own and said, "Does everyone know now?"

Dav shrugged. "Probably. Rana must have told Keb and Ruusaan, and if Keb knows, then everyone knows."

Zace grinned crookedly. "That's one thing I'm still getting used to. Here, everyone's known you since you were born, and grew up with your parents or your grandparents. I'm not used to people caring about me yet."

Dav arched an eyebrow. "We'll have to fix that, won't we?"

She laughed and swatted his wrist. "Shame on you, Davrel! Seducing a poor helpless _aruet'ika_ with your devilish good looks and silver tongue, and I was being serious."

He grinned. "You have never been poor or helpless. Have you forgotten that you tried to hit me when I was rescuing you?"

"Did I really?"

He nodded. "I thought you were out, and I was trying to clean the blood off your face when you opened your eyes and took a swing at me."

She swallowed, smiling. "And let me guess, it was at that very moment you lost your heart."

"Of course! I could tell right off you had the right stuff. And when you demanded to be taught to use a _kad_ on your first day, well, that just confirmed my suspicions."

Zace beamed and reached for the last pastry just as Ruusaan reentered, bearing a large box.

"Jhase will go to sleep now, and Davrel, another nap will keep you from under my feet. I will wake both of you for supper."

Zace's shoulders slumped slightly, but she stood obediently, swooping to give Dav a quick kiss on the cheek before stuffing the entire pastry in her mouth and retreating into the bedroom, cheeks pink from her daring. Dav, when he noticed Ruusaan's satisfied smile, quickly wiped the silly grin from his own face and shut his eyes. His last thought before slipping from feigned sleep into the real thing was that she thought he was joking about the attempted punch.


	6. Chapter 6

Zace was having the most idyllic time of her entire life. Her life in general wasn't that different from the weeks preceding the battle, but she had Dav, and that made all the difference. Rana, of course, never missed an opportunity to tease the two of them, but Zace didn't mind so much anymore, and Dav had finally just decided to ignore her and attempt to change the subject whenever she started. Whatever her shortcomings, Rana was a good teacher, and with Dav out of commission, she had taken over Zace's _beskad_ lessons. Zace was finding these practice sessions easier and easier, and Rana announced one day that she could probably beat Orade now, assuming she was having a good day and he was having a bad one.

"Your confidence in me is truly inspiring," Zace said dryly.

"My pleasure," Rana answered breezily. "Now, try it again, like you mean it! Pretend I'm a Weequay who just insulted Dav."

Zace laughed. "Well, that's hardly a fair fight! Prepare to be trounced."

"Talk's cheap, _vod'ika_. Ready?"

In answer, Zace stepped back into a guard position. Rana nodded once, then lunged. Shocked, Zace parried automatically, then grinned. _All right, let's play rough._ She struck quickly, taking the split-second opening in Rana's guard, but Rana parried with the skill and speed of long practice. Zace found herself moving faster than she thought she could, with Rana's own manic grin tugging at her lips. She suddenly thrust and twisted, and Rana's _kad_ flew glimmering across the ring to thud into the dust at the opposite end.

Rana slipped off her helmet so Zace could see her expression of surprise and pride. "_Kandosii_, Zas'ika! Didn't know you knew that one."

Zace, panting and grinning, removed her own helmet. "Like an old teacher of mine once said, it's not bragging if you can do it."

Rana, recognizing her own words, laughed. "Well said, _vod'ika_, well said." She strode across the ring and tossed her saber into the air with her boot, deftly catching it hilt-first. "Well, I'll be! Look who escaped."

Zace turned to see Dav walking slowly toward them, grinning broadly. "Dav!" she squeaked, dashing toward him and throwing her arms around his neck. "I can't believe Ruusaan's letting you wear your armor so soon- It's patched!" she exclaimed, letting go and examining the neatly stitched cut made by Keb's blade.

He patted her back awkwardly. "Nice to see you again too. Yeah, apparently Keb can fight _and_ sew. Oh, and Ruusaan says lunch is ready, and if we don't hurry she'll invite Ijaat."

Rana reached them, grinning proudly and slapping Dav's back. "Did you see what your _cyar'ika_ just did to me? She's a quick learner."

Dav arched an eyebrow. "With no help from you, I'd guess." He ducked as she took a swing at him, holding up his hands defensively. "Hey, don't hit the wounded!"

Rana snorted. "Wounded, nothing! Ruusaan wouldn't let you out of the house if you weren't perfectly well. Remember that time when I fell off the speeder bike and busted that rib? I thought I'd go crazy before she let me do anything fun again."

Dav nodded. "And the time you nearly dislocated your shoulder trying to shoot Keb's _buir_'s grenade launcher? I thought he and Ruusaan might have to fight over who was going to get to kill you!"

Rana waved an airy hand. "How was I supposed to know the recoil was that bad? He let Orade shoot it."

"Orade was older and much heavier than you," Dav pointed out. "Good stars, Ran, you were only twelve! How did you even lift it?"

"I'm stronger than I look," Rana said smugly. "And I could beat Orade in anything then. _And_ I'm not the only guilty one! What about the time you borrowed Ruusaan's _kad_ and nearly cut your finger off?"

"It was your idea," Dav shot back. "And I seem to recall that you borrowed your mother's, too."

"Well, what about that time when we went hunting for mythosaurs and you got us lost?"

"Again, your idea. And is _that_ what we were doing? We were only, what, five? I can't remember."

"You were five, I was four. But I'm pretty sure that business with the missing sniper rifle that _mysteriously_ turned up under _my_ bunk was all your fault."

Dav smiled wryly. "Forgot about that. Orade helped, though. I couldn't reach it, and he was the only one tall enough."

Rana grinned. "They didn't know which one of us to believe, did they? Orade still swears up and down that he had nothing to do with it."

Zace giggled. "Sounds like you're lucky to have survived this long!"

Dav raised his eyebrows. "Oh, you have no idea. A Trando slaver has nothing on an angry Ruusaan."

Rana nodded. "I remember thinking during my first battle, _this is it?_ I was more scared when Ruusaan wanted to know where that huge bruise on my shoulder came from. Just wait. Little Jhas'ika and Dav'ika are going to be first-class _verde_, with her as their _ba'buir_."

Zace rolled her eyes. "Stop it, Rana."

"Oh, but of course you couldn't help but name one of them after dear Aunt Rana," she said, grinning madly and dancing out of Dav's reach. "Firstborn would be nice, but if Ruusaan gets a namesake too, she can go first. Age before beauty and all that."

"In which case you are last either way, Rana," came Ruusaan's crisp voice. Rana's eyes widened, and she mouthed a silent _uh-oh_ to Zace, who tried unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh.

"Sorry, Ruusaan. Rana's a bit out of sorts today," Dav said seriously, winking at Zace. "She was just beaten by her student."

Ruusaan nodded firmly. "Good for you, Jhas'ika. Now, come inside. We have something for you."

Rana looked up, surprised. "Today? I thought-"

Ruusaan shook her head. "Change of plans. Just in case."

Rana frowned. "What plans? Not-"

Dav cut her off. "Later, Ran. Come on, Zas'ika. You'll like this."

Zace wasn't entirely sure what to expect as she closed her eyes and let Dav and Rana lead her into Ruusaan's house. She stood nervously in the middle of the room, listening to the small noises of the three of them moving around as the cool of the floor seeped through her socks. Something smooth and heavy was placed in her arms, and Rana's voice announced, "Open your eyes, _vod'ika_!"

Zace obeyed to find that she held a shining new _buy'ce_, the burnished _beskar_ a deep bluish gray. Rana, grinning, said, "Zas'ika, your face is a picture. I take it you like it?"

Unable to speak, Zace nodded. "Good. I think you'll like the rest of it even more," Rana continued, as Dav stepped out from in front of the table to reveal the rest of the armor. Zace's jaw dropped and she put a hand over her mouth, sitting down hard in the middle of the floor.

Rana grabbed her wrist, dragging her to her feet again. "Come on, try it on! Dav was working on it before he got himself shot, and I've been finishing it. He had a terrible time trying to find time to work on it without you finding out about it somehow. It was Ruusaan's idea, and she said to leave it plain so you could paint it yourself." Rana had taken the helmet from Zace's arms and set it on the table, and was bent on removing the rest of Zace's borrowed _beskar'gam_. "Arms up."

Zace obeyed, her mind still catching up to the last few moments. "Paint?" she asked. "It's beautiful-"

"I'm just glad to have my spare set back," Rana smirked. "Ruusaan says gold isn't your color anyway." She tossed the last piece of the old set onto the table and took the new chestplates from Dav. "What do you think you'll put on it, or will you leave it plain for a while until you do something noteworthy?"

"Can't I just try it on myself?" Zace protested weakly. "I think I can manage-"

"'Course you can't," Rana interrupted. "You couldn't tell me your own name right now. Shock, they call it, right, Ruusaan?" She tightened a strap, and Zace grunted. "Pretty good fit. I'll adjust it later." Zace opened her mouth to protest again, but Dav stepped forward and slid the new helmet over her head.

"There! Beautiful. Where's that mirror, Ruusaan?"

"Where it has always been, Davrel, not that you have ever used it."

Rana clapped both hands on Zace's shoulders and steered her over to in front of the mirror, grinning delightedly over her shoulder at their reflection. "Zas'ika, you are a picture. Who'd have thought the skinny little _aruetii_ would have grown into a real daughter of Mandalore?"

"Me, apparently," Dav remarked, raising a good-humored eyebrow. "Zas, we saved the bad news for last."

"_I_ don't think it's bad news," Rana interjected.

"You're just desperate for the chance to go bonk some more heads." Dav gave her an exasperated look. "Anyway, that _dinii'la_ Tarash Hrachek has decided to move on _Manda'yaim_ itself, and Mand'alor has called all of us to come defend it."

Zace frowned, puzzled. "Who?"

"Oh _you_ know, the mad rogue Jedi or whatever he is, gathering an army to take over the galaxy, cleverly decides to conquer us and make us his indefatigable shock troops?"

Zace shook her head as Rana raised an eyebrow. "There you go with the big words again, Dav'ika… And this Hrachek isn't that bright, is he? I mean, if he's too cheap to just _pay_ for us, what makes him think his so-called army has even the slightest chance of beating us in the first place?"

"The key word would be 'mad', Ran. People like him generally are more lucky than smart, and their luck runs out eventually."

Rana's grin was positively predatory. "Then let's make sure his luck runs out soon, shall we?"

Dav rolled his eyes and continued. "We're packing up today and moving out tomorrow, so Zace can help Ruusaan load up. I don't have much, so I'll be along soon to move everything into the _Parjai_."

Zace frowned. "The which?"

"Ruusaan's ship, from her wild younger days before she had to settle down and raise Dav'ika," Rana answered, dodging out of Ruusaan's reach. "That ancient Corellian freighter. Now, if you won't be needing me…"

"Yes, Ran, leave before you get into more trouble." Dav flashed Zace a quick grin. "I'll be back later."

It was lucky that Zace didn't have very much to pack, because even with both of them working, it took a very long time indeed to get everything packed to Ruusaan's exacting satisfaction. All her medical equipment had to be carefully padded and then labeled and stored in the right box, which had to be labeled too. When Zace dared complain, Ruusaan merely turned an inscrutable look on her. "Very well then, Jhas'ika, throw them all in however you like. But when you're bleeding to death and I cannot find the bandages, know that your own impatience is to blame."

Zace turned pink and muttered something that might have been an apology, and the rest of the packing went smoothly enough. Zace was just about to go look for Dav when he appeared at the door in his speeder. "Already loaded all my stuff. There's not quite room to take everything in one trip," he said, surveying the pile of boxes on the floor with something approaching dismay. "We'll make two trips, and load all the important stuff last."

Rana reappeared halfway through loading the speeder the second time, and soon the cargo bay of the overhauled freighter, which was not as old as Rana's words had led Zace to fear, was looking rather smaller than it had with nothing in it. "Anyone else need any help, Ran?" Dav asked.

"No, I think Ruusaan's the last. Jus wants a word with you before we leave in the morning, by the way. He knew I'd probably see you before he did."

Dav nodded. "Right." He muttered something that seemed to contain the words "Bet I know why", but didn't seem inclined to elaborate. Zace glanced at him, curious, and decided to ask him what Jus had wanted in the morning.

Zace and Ruusaan slept on board the ship that night, and upon awakening, Zace had a slight surge of panic before she remembered where she was. The cabin she was in was much smaller than Ruusaan's house, and she had gotten used to sunlight in her face when she awoke. The dim glow from the blank vidscreen on the wall was not, she decided, an acceptable substitute. Not knowing how late she'd slept, she dressed quickly and hurried outside the ship to meet Rana returning, bringing her a fruit-studded ration bar.

"Good morning!" Rana said brightly, dressed in her sandy gold armor and entirely too cheerful for the hour of the morning it appeared to be. Zace shivered slightly in the light tunic she'd selected at random and mustered a halfhearted "Mmmf" as she chewed on the bar.

"Took you long enough to wake up," Rana continued, apparently oblivious to Zace's lack of enthusiasm. "I'm riding with you and Dav, and Ruusaan's with my _buire_. We've already loaded my stuff, and I'm sharing that cabin with you. Dav's got his own, of course. Once we get into hyperspace and Dav doesn't need to pilot any more, we're going to teach you to play cheg!"

Zace swallowed a bite, slightly overwhelmed by the barrage of information. "Play- what?"

"Cheg! Fun game. I think you'll like it." Rana flashed her a brilliant grin and turned to squint into the early morning mist that turned everything into different-colored smudges. "Speaking of, here comes Dav with the table now. Jus must be through with him. It's probably about time to leave."

"Oh-"

"Rana! Come help carry _your_ table." Dav's voice was unmistakable, and so was his emerald armor, even through fog.

"Complain a bit louder, why don't you?" Rana called back, but took the other end of the folded round table. Zace, finishing her breakfast, trailed after them, and was coerced into helping Rana find exactly the right place to set the table up after Dav had to go coordinate flight plans with the rest of the fleet in the cockpit. Rana was finally satisfied at the table's position and the two of them went forward to join Dav. He looked up from the complicated-looking array of lights and controls as Rana collapsed into the co-pilot's seat beside him.

"Strap in, we're about to lift off. Next stop, _Manda'yaim_."

Zace buckled herself into the seat behind Rana and took a deep breath, willing her stomach to keep still. Dav glanced back at her. "Don't worry, Zas. This flight will be a lot smoother than your last one."

She giggled nervously. "I hope so!"

Rana smirked, reclining the seat. "Of course it will be! Would Ruusaan let Dav'ika anywhere near the controls of her precious ship if he wasn't more than competent?"

Dav raised a warning eyebrow. "That's twice in less than a day, Ran. Remember what I said last time…"

Rana rolled her eyes, spinning the chair around. "Call you little Dav three times in 26 hours again and you'll- How did you phrase it exactly? It was very good. Something about my fingers, right?"

"I believe it was 'snap off your trigger finger and make you eat it'," he said, as the hum of the engines suddenly deepened.

"That was it!" Rana sat up suddenly, grinning. "I'll have to remember that. Really, Dav, you might think you've been taking lessons from me sometimes."

Dav rolled his eyes. "Who'd _want_ to take lessons from you?"

"All right, you two," Zace said, smiling. "Just because Ruusaan isn't here doesn't mean you two get to be at each other's throats the whole time." Her stomach gave a slight lurch as the ground quickly fell away beneath them.

"Aww, you're no fun either," Rana said, twisting the chair around to stare out the window. "Hey look, I can see my house from here! And the circle, and Ruusaan's house-" Zace swallowed hard and stared determinedly at the wall.

The rest of the journey went smoothly enough. Cheg was fairly easy to learn, although Rana won every game she played, and Zace's knuckles were soon sore from hitting the puck back and forth. She had tried to ask Dav what Jus had wanted, but he was strangely evasive, and went back to the cockpit for a while, to "calibrate the fuel conservation" or something like that. She frowned after him, fairly certain he was just making excuses to avoid the question. Rana retrieved the puck from where she'd knocked it under a rack full of blasters and tossed it back onto the table.

"Want another game?" When Zace merely shrugged, Rana punched her shoulder lightly. "Come on. He'll be fine. Jus probably just wanted to know if you two wanted to hurry up and get married before we have to fight." She laughed at Zace's slightly scandalized expression. "Ah, Zas'ika, I forget how much you haven't learned yet. Mando weddings are much simpler than _aruetyc _ones. Just a promise between the two of you, four short lines, and-" She shrugged, waving a hand. "That's it. And you never know what _hut'uun_'s blaster might have your name on it."

Zace shivered, still unable to entirely adopt the pragmatic Mandalorian attitude toward death. "He hasn't said anything- and I- _Marriage_?" She didn't know if she was ready for such a huge commitment.

Rana was looking relatively serious. "Why not? You two are perfect together. Even Jus noticed."

Zace frowned and made a noncommittal noise. Rana, unusually sensitive to Zace's mood for once, smiled and punched her shoulder again. "Have another game of cheg. You didn't lose quite as badly last time."


	7. Chapter 7

Dav reappeared long enough to lose to Rana and beat Zace once before he had to land. Zace had mastered her queasiness enough to enjoy the spectacular view of the planet surface unrolling beneath the ship, mountains and forests and farmland, and finally a city surrounded by more ships than Zace had ever seen together in her life. Dav landed near Jus's starfighter at the edge of the city, and Rana eagerly dashed down the ramp, helmet under one arm and _kad_ and Verp hanging at her belt. Zace, having changed into her new armor at Rana's not-so-subtle suggestion, followed her into the fresh air with more relief than she would admit even to herself. Keb hailed them with a shout.

"Ran! Zas! Come meet my cousin!"

She was standing next to a tall, brown-haired man in deep sea-green armor. He had a strange-looking pale brown mammal at his heels, and as they approached, it ran over and began sniffing the hem of Zace's _kama_ with great interest.

"Hey!" she squeaked, whirling around, as the man called, "Back, A'den!"

The animal, chastised, lowered its sleek head and slunk back to its master, who bent and patted its shoulder fondly. "Sorry about that," he said, looking up to meet Zace's eyes. "A'den doesn't get to meet new people very often. I'm Cabur."

He was, Zace decided, quite good-looking. She made some polite answer and introduced herself. Rana was still staring at the creature.

"That's a strill," she said, a note of distaste in her voice.

"Yes, it is," Cabur answered, slightly puzzled. "And that's a Verpine shatter gun!" he added, eyeing Rana's holster appreciatively.

"And this is Rana," Keb said hurriedly, trying to diffuse the situation. "Davrel's cousin. You've met Dav, right?"

"The pleasure is mine, I'm sure," Cabur said politely. "Yes, I know Davrel."

Rana nodded, smiling stiffly. Keb caught Zace's eye and jerked her head slightly, eyes urgent. Zace, annoyed, smiled at Cabur and Keb and caught Rana's elbow. "Sorry to dash off so soon, but Rana, Ruusaan has my, um, good pair of boots. Come with me, or I'll end up lost."

Rana allowed herself to be pulled away, and once out of earshot, gave Zace a sideways look. "Why are your good boots so urgent?"

"Never mind my boots. Why are you being so rude?" Zace hissed.

Rana scowled. "I don't like strill."

"That's no reason to be rude to someone you haven't even met yet! And he's Keb's cousin."

Rana's scowl deepened and she lengthened her stride, forcing Zace to almost jog to keep up. "I don't like strill."

"Why?" Zace was getting very impatient with Rana's recalcitrance, and she had wanted to see more of the strill. "I'm sure Keb knows, and will tell me if I ask her."

"Keb doesn't either," Rana answered shortly. "Here's our ship. Ruusaan's probably already brought your boots back and is unpacking."

She spun on her heel and stalked away, leaving Zace standing, annoyed and puzzled, at the ramp of the _Parjai_.

"And then she just walked off and left me!" Zace finished, taking a sip of _shig_. Ruusaan had already been unpacking, and had conscripted Zace and Dav to help her. When they had finished, Ruusaan made some excuse and disappeared, leaving the two of them to find the pot of _shig_ she had brewed. They were now sitting at the small table in the galley, and Zace had told Dav what had happened earlier.

Dav frowned, sitting back. He remembered why Rana hated strill, and could guess why she didn't want to tell Zace. He ran a hand through his hair, wondering how much to tell her.

Zace frowned back. "And I know you know something I don't, from the look on your face. You just don't want to tell me."

"It's not that," he said, swirling the dregs of his _shig_ around the bottom of his mug. "It was a while back, and if Rana doesn't want to tell you herself- Well, she has her reasons, I'm sure, but she also has a good reason not to like strill."

"She said Keb didn't know."

"She probably doesn't. I only know because Ruusaan told me."

"Told you what?" Rana was standing in the doorway, something furry and unidentifiable dangling from one hand. She noticed Zace's revolted gaze and held it out. "Supper. I went hunting."

"Nothing," Dav said, trying to sound casual. "Ruusaan's secret ingredient in her pastries," he added, inspired by the mention of supper.

"Oh," Rana said, instantly dismissive at the mention of cooking. She set the furry object on a counter and pulled a long, sharp knife from a drawer. Zace turned slightly pale and turned a determined gaze on her mug.

"Do you have to do that inside?" Dav was used to watching Rana clean and butcher her prey, but Zace wasn't, and he was annoyed at her for interrupting their conversation.

Rana looked up from the now-bloody knife. "What? Ruusaan's not here, and I'll have it cleaned up by the time she gets back. If I don't, then I'll just promise to grill her some." There was a wet, cracking sort of noise, and Zace went even paler.

"I'll just- go somewhere else, shall I?" she said, and almost bolted for the door.

"Trust you to ruin a perfectly civilized conversation, Ran," Dav said lightly, internally deploring Rana's complete lack of tact.

"Sorry," she called as he followed Zace. "But I am grilling it for supper, if you want any-"

He waved in acknowledgement and shut the galley door behind him.

He found Zace sitting on the ramp in the afternoon sunlight, and settled himself beside her. "Let me apologize for my dear cousin's appalling lack of refinement."

"Oh, I'm used to it." She smiled up at him. "And your charm more than makes up for her lack thereof." She slipped her arm through his, clasping his hand, and leaned her head against his shoulder.

Dav smiled, feeling foolishly gratified, and patted her hand.

"What did Jus want?" she asked suddenly. "Rana said-" She stopped, looking down.

"What did Rana say?" Dav demanded, glancing down into her hair.

"Oh, nothing really," she said evasively. "You know how she is about- us…"

"What did she say now?" he asked, fairly sure he had a good idea.

"She said-" Zace giggled nervously. "She said Jus probably wanted to know when we were getting married."

"Mmm." Dav looked off toward the horizon.

Zace grinned, looking up. "Am I going to have to get you drugged up again before you tell me anything?"

"Oh, I hope not!" Dav laughed. "Not unless I really need it."

Zace sobered, pressing her cheek against his shoulderplate. "Don't say that. You'd better not get shot again."

"I can't promise I won't, but it won't be my fault like last time if I do."

"Close enough." Zace smiled contentedly and tilted her head up toward him, squinting through her eyelashes because of the sun. "When are we going to have to fight?"

Her lips suddenly became very inviting indeed. "Not for a while," he answered, leaning down.

"Eight hours, give or take a few," a new voice rumbled. Dav straightened up quickly, feeling warmth rise up his neck. Jus was standing at the foot of the ramp, helmet under one arm, dull orange _kama_ looking even more rumpled than usual. "New intel, just in. Which means that they're probably about to be breathing down our necks, of course."

"What?" Rana appeared behind them in the doorway, still holding the bloody skinning knife. "They're coming?"

"So it would seem," Jus said, the scar over one eye puckering as he grinned. "Better sleep in your armor tonight."

"I always do!" Rana flashed a wolfish smirk in answer. "Oh, and if we haven't all been overrun by that time, I went hunting, so come back for supper."

"Don't mind if I do." Jus turned to go but paused, squinting into the sky as a huge warship roared overhead, accompanied by several smaller craft. "What the- Those aren't ours!"

"Hrachek!" Rana hissed, dashing out to stand beside Jus. "Aren't the crossed swords on the bottom of that ship his sigil?"

Jus swore, jamming the helmet back over his close-cropped hair. "It is! How the _devil_ did he get past our sentries? Keep your comms on." He sprinted off, and Dav sighed resignedly, climbing to his feet and pulling Zace to hers. Rana had already disappeared back into the ship, and Dav narrowly missed a collision with her as she dashed back outside after Jus, helmeted and clutching her conc rifle.

Zace's pulse was racing as she strapped on her medpack and holster. Dav handed her a long-barreled carbine and selected a rifle for himself. Slinging the heavy gun across her shoulder, she followed him at a run toward Jus's starfighter, where he was pacing, a hand to the side of his helmet, apparently deep in conference over his comm. Jus looked up as they approached, snapping out orders.

"Dav! Take your nine and clear that hangar. The rest of you, follow me. We're defending the comm center. Move out!"

There was a crisp murmur of assent, and Zace fell in behind Dav again as the group split and he led the way to the hangar Jus had indicated. Reaching the building, Rana flattened herself against the wall beside the doorway across from Dav and pulled a grenade from her belt. Dav nodded, and she tossed it through the door, shielding her eyes from the blast and then charging in, rifle at the ready.

Zace piled in after the rest, diving for cover and bringing her carbine up. Her first nervous shot went wildly high, knocking out part of the illumination grid at the far end of the hangar, but her second was much closer, flying over the shoulder of the Weequay she was aiming at to take down the one behind him. Someone touched her shoulder, and she almost jumped out of her skin.

"Zace, right?" a low voice said, and she turned to recognize Cabur's distinctive sea green _beskar'gam_ with the strill at his heels. She nodded, and he pointed down the wall. "Catwalk stairs that way. Go snipe."

She thrust the gun into his arms and drew her small pistol. "Lousy rifle shot. You do it." He nodded briskly, darting away. A bolt flew over Zace's head, and she dodged sideways, blasting an oncoming enemy. The long, high-ceilinged room, nearly empty except for a few piles of crates, was a maze of crisscrossing blaster bolts, and Zace noticed with some trepidation that the huge doors at the other end gliding open slowly.

_Oh, I hope that's us with reinforcements!_ She glanced around for Dav, but he was shoulder to shoulder with Rana, both of them bringing instant death to anything they aimed at. Slowly but surely, they were pushing Hrachek's contingent back toward the other end of the hangar, and Zace dove for a new hiding place farther along the wall.

"Hrachek!" Rana snarled, bringing down another Weequay with a shot to the head. "I'm going after him. Cover my six-" She squeezed off another bolt before darting along the wall toward the far side of the hangar, where a dark figure now stood framed in the empty doorway.

"NO, Rana!" Dav thundered, but too late. She had already covered most of the distance, and was drawing her _kad_. Hrachek ignited his scarlet lightsaber in answer, and the two weapons met with a spray of sparks and a clash clearly audible over even the noise of blaster fire.

Zace, now crouching behind a large crate, was proving quite a deadly shot with her tiny holdout pistol. "Is she _mad_?!" she called, watching the dueling figures. Hrachek, though seemingly taken aback by the resilience of Rana's _bes'kad_, had quickly recovered, and the two of them were trading blows with a fervor that made the duels in the practice circle look like child's play.

"Haven't you known her long enough to figure out that answer?" Keb's voice crackled breathlessly over the comm. "She better be careful though- even _beskar_ can be melted…"

"Hope she slots him before that," Dav gasped, diving for more cover and peering over the top. The strill A'den had not followed its master to the upper level. It tore at an enemy hamstring, and Cabur took down its owner with a quick shot to the head from above. "That's nearly all of them, I think."

"Good," came Jus's voice. "We need backup in the main hall."

"Be right there," Dav called. "Keb, Cabur, take the rest and go help Jus. Zas-" He hesitated.

"Stay here and finish this lot off," she said quietly. "And he's probably got more somewhere too."

"And I'll stay with you," he finished. "On three, move out."

Zace took down an Aqualish as the rest of the small group withdrew, then sneaked a quick glance at the battle raging toward her. Though Hrachek's thin smirk seemed petty and unimpressive when compared to Rana's grim helmet, the duel was evenly matched. They struck and parried, _beskar_ and energy blade meeting with a horrific noise, and Zace marveled at just how good Rana really was.

Rana's riposte caught Hrachek off-guard, leaving a thin red gash down one cheek. She took advantage of his momentary distraction to strike at the lightsaber's hilt, and it went spinning out of his hand, extinguishing itself in midair and landing in a distant corner. His handsome face twisted into a scowl, and he quickly drew his thin rapier, blocking her next strike and redoubling the ferocity of his attack. "Dav-" Zace started, but he shook his head, dropping a Weequay who had been trying to get a clear shot at Rana.

"She's fine. First blood. This is Ran'ika, remember?" he said softly, but was interrupted by a burst of Huttese profanity. Rana's leather gauntlet now had a rip dripping blood. She shouted something about real bantha leather not being cheap, and Zace stifled a mad urge to giggle. Even in a pitched battle for her life, Rana was still incorrigible. A fine line of blood had dripped down Hrachek's jaw, accentuating the pallor of his face, and red flecks dotted Rana's armor.

Zace was distracted from watching Rana by having to dodge a grenade thrown toward her hiding place. When she had found new cover and taken down the grenade thrower, she chanced another look. Rana and Hrachek seemed to be bleeding from several places, and both looked to be tiring. A blaster bolt sizzled over Zace's head, and she whirled around to see Dav drop his empty blaster and eliminate the shooter with a neatly thrown knife to the neck.

"That's all of 'em, I think!" he called, then twisted quickly aside and plunged another vibroblade into a not-quite-dead Weequay's throat. "Or not. That should-" He was interrupted by a cry of pain and anger. Rana was clutching her abdomen, and the entire right side of her sandy gold armor was slowly being stained crimson. Dav breathed a curse that Zace didn't even recognize as his hand went automatically for his empty holster. "Ammunition! Zas-"

She leveled her pistol at the pair, noting her shaking hands with something near hysteria. "Can't get a clear shot!" Rana staggered back a few steps, deflecting Hrachek's blows as he tried to back her up against a wall. She sidestepped, regaining a few feet, and the tip of her blade tore through his brocaded sleeve. Zace was wide-eyed with panic, clutching the pistol in a white-knuckled grip. "Daaaav! Do something!"

"Throw me the blaster!" he hissed, just as Rana's saber tip darted forward, wrenching the filigreed basket hilt of Hrachek's rapier out of his grip. As it hit the hangar floor with a strangely musical clang, she slashed viciously at his unprotected throat. As his lifeless form crumpled to the floor, Rana leaned on her _kad_, still holding her side.

"Hah! Hardly- a challenge at all," she laughed breathlessly. "Bring on- the rest of 'em." She took a tottering step forward, then slumped to the floor. Zace threw the pistol wildly in Dav's direction and raced forward, dropping to her knees beside Rana and trying frantically to unclip the medkit from her belt.

Dav put a single bolt through Hrachek's head and kicked his body aside, gently turning Rana over onto her back and pulling off her blood-spattered helmet. Her eyelids fluttered, and she summoned a ghost of her defiant grin. "Ow," she breathed. "_Chakaar_ got me- didn't he? But I made his eyes water."

"You certainly did," he answered in what he hoped was a reassuring tone, then looked up. "Zas, can I do anything?"

"Keep her distracted," Zace answered shortly, gloves and helmet already off as she carefully removed the gold plates of _beskar'gam_. "This isn't pretty. Oh, _Rana_-!" she gasped, as the entire wound was revealed. "You must be made of _beskar_."

"Jus, come in!" Dav barked into his comlink, taking the misshapen saber from Rana's hand and setting it to one side.

"Copy, Dav. Sitrep?"

"All hostiles neutralized, including Hrachek. Bring Ruusaan ASAP, Rana's down."

"Copy tha- What? _Rana_? _Our_ Rana-"

"Long story, no time to explain. Hurry!"

The anxiety in Jus's voice was clear. "Be right there, Dav. _Pare sol_."

Rana tried to sit up, but Dav held her down. "Let _go_, Davrel. I'm- fine, just a scratch-"

Zace's voice was slightly shrill from stress. "If this is a scratch- Rana, you're not supposed to be able to see bone if it's _just a scratch_."

Rana, scowling, tried to knock Dav's arm aside and sit up again. "Let me see."  
Dav looked up at Zace, who nodded. He slipped an arm under Rana's shoulders, trying to move her as little as possible. Wincing, she swore in surprise. "That hurts now! Glad I- already killed him… Don't think I'm quite up- to doing it again just now…" He laid her back down and looked around for something to serve as a pillow. His gaze lighted on Hrachek's scarlet-lined cloak, and, pulling it off and wadding it up, he tucked it gently under Rana's head, figuring that Hrachek certainly wasn't going to be using it anytime soon.

"Thanks, Dav," she said quietly. She lifted her right hand, studying the blood covering her gauntlet. "Losing quite a bit- not good…" Turning her head to one side, she caught a glimpse of her crimson-stained _kama_. "Not looking good- for me at all, is it?" She frowned. "Think your painkillers are working, Zas'ika- having trouble focusing. Or I'm dying-"

"Rana, you're not allowed to die on me! And that's an order," Dav said, his attempt at their usual bantering tone falling sadly flat. "Ruusaan will kill me!"

"Sorry-" she gasped, grinning wryly. "'S the way- I'd have chosen to go…"

Zace was biting her lip as she worked furiously. "Well, that's too bad!" she snapped, her voice half a sob. "It's not the way you're going to go!"

Rana tried to laugh, wincing. "Ah, Zas'ika, I've seen- death before. It can't feel worse- than this. Dav gets- the _chakaar_'s lightsaber for my- wedding present, and Zas- can have Kyram'ika and the holster. Remember, now I'm- dead I get firstborn namesake-"

Running footsteps announced the arrival of Ruusaan and Jus. Ruusaan knelt beside Zace, opening her larger medkit as Jus joined Dav by Rana's head. "Jus- hoped you'd come."

"I'm right here, Ran'ika," he answered in a remarkably steady voice. "What is this? You're supposed to be indestructible."

Rana smirked slightly. "Supposed to- but not quite. One thing before I die-"

Jus pulled off his helmet, running a gloved hand over his short hair. "You're not going to die, but I'll humor you. What?"

She smiled dreamily. "Kiss me."

"What?!" He glared up at Zace. "What the Force did you drug her with?"

"You- heard me," Rana said dryly. "I'm dying. I'm lying- in a pool of- my own blood. Humor me." Jus leaned over her and pecked her gingerly on the forehead, then straightened quickly. She scowled. "Call that- a kiss? I want a- real one." She reached an unsteady hand up toward him, hand scrabbling for a grip on his armor to pull him down.

Jus glanced at Ruusaan, who had straightened and was wiping her hands. She gave a brisk nod, expression unreadable. He slipped one arm under Rana's head, easing her up as she curled her arm around his neck. There was a long silence before they parted, and Rana managed a satisfied smile as her eyelids drooped. "That's better. Goodbye, Ruusaan. Good luck, Dav- Zas- remember Aunt Rana- And Jus, I think- I've always loved you. You're the- only one who could- always beat me at anything. Pity- really-" Her eyes eased shut, and she gave a small sigh.

Zace watched Jus's expression as he gently laid her back on the floor. She couldn't quite identify it, but his tone banished all doubt. "Of course I could beat you, _dinii_, I'm nearly ten years older…" He looked up at Ruusaan, quiet desperation in his eyes. "Will she- She's not-"

Ruusaan shook her head. "We have done all we can for now. Put her in the bacta tank, but whether she lives or dies is up to her now."

Jus gave a short, desperate bark of laughter. "She'll live. She's too stubborn to die. Tough as zakkeg hide, our Ran'ika… She has to." He replaced his helmet and stood abruptly. "Dav, check on Orade's force and see if the battle's over yet, then get a fast speeder. We need the medcenter ASAP." Dav nodded shortly, and Zace, feeling that she had to do something, retrieved Hrachek's rapier and lightsaber from where they had fallen, using the hem of her _kama_ to wipe them clean of blood. _Rana's blood_, she realized dazedly. _Shades, I hope Jus is right…_

The quiet murmur of voices seeped through Zace's uneasy sleep. She came awake slowly, neck horribly stiff from having been propped against the arm of a long bench while she slept. Her hipbone ached from the hard wooden seat, and her feet had ended up stretched across Dav's lap. He was sitting at the opposite end of the bench, head tilted back and mouth slightly open, snoring lightly. She smiled sleepily and was about to try to go back to sleep when she heard Rana's name.

"-month at least, but she'll live," came a man's unfamiliar voice from the room across the hall. Jus, looking somehow even more rumpled than usual, dozed beside the slightly open door. "Top-notch field medics, you and the girl. We could use some people like you here."

"Thank you, but no thank you," came Ruusaan's dry tones in reply. "Kad Ha'rangir only knows what they would do without me to patch them up."

The man laughed. "Pity." The door slid open with a slight _whoosh_, and Jus's head jerked up suddenly, eyes alert in spite of the dark smudges under them. Zace wondered how he managed, since she knew he'd still been pacing when she had dropped off from sheer exhaustion. He stood as Ruusaan and the man- apparently a doctor, Zace decided- stepped into the sunlit hall. Ruusaan was still in her _beskar'gam_, although she had apparently found time somewhere to clean it up, and Zace cast a rueful glance at her own bespattered armor. Jus murmured something to Ruusaan, who nodded before following the doctor down the hall. Jus slipped through the door, and Zace noticed with surprise that he was still clutching Hrachek's cloak, stiff with both his blood and Rana's.

_If Jus ever lets that thing go, Keb ought to make Rana a new _kama_ from it,_ she thought idly. Her stomach chose that moment to remind her that she had not eaten supper last night, and she sat up slowly, trying not to disturb Dav as she swung her feet onto the floor, but his eyes came open anyway.

"Zas," he said, voice thick from sleep.

"Morning, such as it is," she answered, stretching the kinks from her shoulders.

He cleared his throat and tried again. "Ruusaan? Jus?"

"Went that way and into Rana's room, respectively." Zace waved a languid hand down the hall. "Ooh, I need caf…"

"Rana?" Dav asked, ignoring her.

"The doctor- I guess he was a doctor- said she'd live."

His shoulders slumped in relief. "Of course she will. Rana…" He shook his head, voice trailing off as he rubbed his eyes with the heels of each hand. "Indestructible."

"Mmhmm." Zace pulled from a belt pouch the ration bar she'd been too worried to eat last night. Unwrapping it, she offered half to Dav and took a bite.

He accepted it mutely, his eyes focused on some point far past the opposite wall. "Cred for your thoughts," she said, mostly just to break the heavy silence. After the noise of yesterday, too much quiet seemed unnatural.

He cleared his throat in the way that meant he was thinking of how best to phrase his thoughts. Zace settled crosslegged on the bench next to him, chewing her half of the bar. This one had dried fruit and nuts mixed into it, and enough moisture to make it pleasantly sticky. The tips of his ears were turning a gentle pink.

"Zas'ika," he began, then paused.

"Mmm?" she replied, studying the shadows his eyelashes cast on the bridge of his nose. The early morning sunlight shone through the high, narrow window behind him, making a long puddle on the spotless floor.

"Zas'ika, do you remember when I wouldn't tell you what Jus wanted?"

His ears were definitely red now. "Of course. It wasn't that long ago."

"Well- Rana was right, actually." He had shifted his gaze from the wall to his boots. "In a way, anyway. He, um, wanted to know-"

Her heart seemed to have suddenly migrated upward. "Dav, dearest, are you- Are you proposing?" His eartips were scarlet, and a very silly grin was threatening her composure. He nodded, finally daring to meet her eyes. To her horror, she felt tears prickling at the edges of her vision. Blinking rapidly, she threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in the high collar of his undersuit.

He patted her back awkwardly, looking slightly bewildered. "Zas'ika, will you- will you marry me?"

She sat up, wiping her face and sniffing. "You absolute darling _idiot_. Of course I'll marry you!"

He grinned suddenly, the color ebbing from his ears. "This isn't exactly how I imagined it, you know. In the medcenter, before caf-"

"And with me crying," she finished, flashing a rather watery smile. "But I don't care." She wiped her face with the now-tattered hem of her _kama_ and kissed him.

Dav, who had been about to point out that her _kama_ had done nothing but smear the dirt and tears, found that suddenly, he didn't care either.


	8. Chapter 8

"Can I touch it?" Ijaat's face was a study of awe and envy.

"Oh… I suppose so. Watch the red button, though. That turns it on, and your _buir_ would finish Hrachek's job if you come home with missing limbs."

Ijaat grasped the polished silver tube with reverence, eyes alight. "It's beautiful! You turn it on then."

Rana heaved a deep sigh, feigning exasperation as she took the saber back. "Fine." She thumbed the ignition, and the long shaft of red energy suddenly split the morning air, humming ominously. "Back up, and I'll show off a bit." The boy retreated, grinning broadly, and Rana performed a few fancy passes, tracing bright shapes in the air with the blade.

"Rana!"

Extinguishing Hrachek's lightsaber, Rana turned to face the slowly approaching Zace. "Yes, mother?"

"Watch what you're doing with that thing. Remember last time."

Rana rolled her eyes. "You sound like Ruusaan. If this is what motherhood does to you, I don't want kids. And Jus welded the antenna back on anyway, so no real harm done."

Zace frowned slightly, a hand on her swollen belly. "And most of the external communications were down for four hours before he did." She waved an arm out toward the endless grassy plains. "There's plenty of room out there away from important things to swing that silly thing around."

Rana clipped the saber to her belt, folding her arms. "All right, but I know you didn't walk all the way over here just to yell at me. What does Ruusaan want now?"

"Not Ruusaan, the baby!" Zace beamed. "It's moving again. Feel." She took Rana's hand and pressed it to a spot on her abdomen, gasping slightly as the baby kicked. "Ooh. Isn't it wonderful?"

"Just as wonderful as it was this morning," Rana said, the smile on her face belying her dry tone. "It'll be soon, won't it?"

Zace nodded dreamily. "It should be. Ruusaan says any day now…"

"Good. I want to see who you finally decide to name it for." Rana took Zace's elbow and steered her back toward Dav's house, limping slightly. Zace noticed the limp and frowned.

"What have you been doing? I keep telling you to be careful of that ankle."

"Nothing!" Rana exclaimed defensively. "Well- maybe Ijaat hit it accidentally, but it's fine now. I beat him."

Zace rolled her eyes. "Tell me that when you end up not being able to move it one day."

Rana snorted. "You do sound like Ruusaan. Hey-!" She flinched as Jus grabbed her shoulders from behind, driving an elbow into his stomach plate and stomping on his armored instep.

Jus laughed breathlessly, slightly winded from her attack, and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "_Udesii_, Ran'ika. Bit jumpy today, are we?"

"You'd be jumpy if some idiot kept sneaking up behind you," she growled, black and scarlet _kama_ flaring out as she twisted loose from his grip.

He punched her shoulder good-naturedly. "Keeps you on your toes, though, doesn't it?"

"Worry about your own toes. I'll end up breaking them one day if you don't watch out, and it may not even be on purpose."

Zace giggled. "You two. I don't know how I didn't see it before…"

Rana faced her, raising an eyebrow. "Because you were too wrapped up in dear Davrel to notice a charging gundark, much less the subtle cues of emotion my would-be _cyar'ika_ was displaying."

Jus snorted irreverently, a habit he seemed to have picked up from Rana. "That blow to the _buy'ce_ I gave you yesterday must've been harder than it looked. As _I_ remember it, you were the one who started it."

Rana waved a gauntleted hand airily. "Mere details. Does it matter? You could've used a good kiss."

Jus shook his head. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."

"'Cause you know I'm right," she answered, grinning madly.

Jus ignored her and changed the subject. "Heard from Keb lately?"

Rana shook her head. "Not since last time, at least. She's still visiting her cousin and that stinking animal."

Zace gave her a curious glance. "You still haven't told me why you don't like strill."

Jus let out an unsuccessfully stifled burst of laughter, and Rana glared at him. "Shut up, Jus. It was ages ago."

"Not long enough, it would seem," he smirked. "Shame on you, holding a grudge this long."

"You would too, if…" Still scowling, Rana trailed off.

"Good stars, Rana, I'll tell her if you don't." He turned to Zace. "It was a long time ago, about ten years?" He glanced at Rana for confirmation, but she ignored him, face stony. "Anyway, some part of Keb's family breeds strill, and some relative or other drops in with his. I can't remember exactly what the circumstances were, but somehow Rana ends up in the dirt with it on top of her head."

Rana's flush was visible even under her tan. "It attacked me! It was bigger than I was!"

Jus's shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. "Ah, Ran'ika, it was just saying hello! I think it liked you. You still have all your limbs, don't you?"

"No thanks to _you_, _chakaar_," she muttered resentfully. "You didn't even try to get it off, just stood there laughing!"

He reached out to ruffle her hair, grinning, and she knocked his arm away. "I knew it wasn't going to eat you."

Zace bit her lip, trying not to laugh too. "Poor thing," she said teasingly, patting Rana's shoulder. "You've been quite traumatized."

"Shut up," Rana growled, shrugging off Zace's hand and quickening her steps to leave the two of them behind, spine stiff with outrage.

Jus wiped his eyes with the heel of one hand, grinning after Rana's retreating form. "You know what they say, Ran'ika: If you can't take a joke…" Rana's only reply was a very rude gesture.

Dav's voice crackled over the comlink clipped to Zace's collar. "Zas, Keb's back! Meet us at Ruusaan's."

"Copy that," she answered, as Jus chuckled again.

"He doesn't let you out from under his nose for a second, does he?" Jus asked, gesturing to the tiny comm.

Zace's fond smile belied the wry edge in her words. "No, he likes to keep an eye on us." She patted her belly affectionately.

The short walk to Ruusaan's house was still enough to make Zace grateful for its cool interior. She sank gladly onto the cushioned bench as Keb grinned at her from a seat at the table across from Dav. "_Su'cuy_, Zas!"

"_Su'cuy_, Keb," Zace smiled back, as Rana entered, kicking off her dusty boots.

"Kebii'tra!" Rana said, a mock scowl across her tanned features. "Since when do you- What's that?" she asked suspiciously, staring at the cloth-wrapped bundle cradled carefully in Keb's arms.

Keb grimaced. "Don't _call_ me that, Rana. You know how much I hate it. And this is a little present for the _ad'ika_ from me and Cabur." She stood carefully, carrying the bundle over to Zace and twitching a corner aside.

Zace brought a hand to her mouth in delighted surprise. "Oh, Keb, thank you!" Swathed in the fabric was an ungainly tangle of legs covered in pale brown fur, which, as Zace watched, opened a pair of golden eyes and chirruped curiously.

Zace took the strill pup carefully from Keb as Rana's lip curled in revulsion. "You're _kidding_," she said, voice dripping with distaste.

Dav matched Keb's grin. "Well, Zas'ika," he said conversationally, "this way we won't have to choose who gets a namesake. We'll name the baby Ruusaan, and this little guy can be Rana."

"Oh, no." Rana's face was a picture of disgust. "Name that- that stinking heap of drool after me and I'll-" Words appeared to fail her, and she lapsed into silence as the pup squirmed around to face her, ears pricked with interest.

"Aww, I think it likes you!" Zace crooned, stroking the pup under its velvety chin.

Dav's laughter mingled with Keb's as Rana gave them all a very dirty look and stalked away.


End file.
